Still on The Patient Dog
ROAD SAFETY ARTICLE With Jonas Agwu
As I finally draw the curtain on this piece that has ran for two weeks, you must always remember that the machine which you call a vehicle is worse than a bazooka or ak-47. So, you must check your speed and ensure that all occupants in the vehicle, including children, are properly restrained to prevent ejection in the event of a crash. Do not lap the baby in the car and avoid all forms of complacency like the folly of the first Adam.
Such complacency has robbed families of their bread winners. It has also robbed the nation of individuals whose contributions would have helped in nation building. The figures I cited last week are not just victims but human beings. Unfortunately, we allow the abstract numbers to deflect our attentions form the reality of the lives of those affected. Yet, such lives could have been saved by a change in behaviour, especially in the use of seat belt, crash helmet and appropriate speed. Unfortunately, impatience ranks high in the human weaknesses displayed on the road daily; the tendency to drive above the speed approved by law all in the name of meeting a business appointment and the tendency to drive and phone on the wheels in total disregard of the law and the safety implications among others.
These behaviors for me provides the basis for the predication by WHO that by 2015, road crashes will be the leading cause of premature death and disability for children aged five and above. The epidemic is said to rob more families of their loved ones and their livelihood as the number of those killed doubles to well over two million per year by 2020.
It is, however, instructive to note that countries such as Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Japan among other nations in the developed climes, have made significant progress in redressing road crash. Underlining this progress is the consciousness on the part of motorist to do it right while realising the need to adopt new approach to road safety. One of these new approaches is the safe system approach which requires that the road system be designed to expect and accommodate human error, recognising the prevention effort notwithstanding, roads user remain fallible and crash will occur.
It exploits synergies between measures that address infrastructure, vehicles and drivers’ behaviour when they are designed in concert. The basic strategy of a Safe System approach is to ensure that in the event of a crash the impact energy remain below threshold likely to produce either death or serious injury. This threshold will vary upon the level of protection offered to the road users involved for example, the chances of survival for an unprotected pedestrians hit by a vehicle diminish rapidly at speed greater than 30km/h whereas for a properly restrained vehicle, the critical impact speed is 50km/h for side impact crash and 70km/h for head-on crashes.
Sadly however, doing it right as the foundation for change is a scarce virtue in our clime. It is equally sadly that most of us in our clime operate motor vehicles on a daily basis and hardly ever pay any attention to one of the most vital parts of the vehicle which are our tyres. Unfortunately, very few of us change this bad habit until it is too late. Did you know that tires expire four years after the date of manufacture and this date is stamped on the side of the tyre?
It is very easy to find out what the expiration date is on a tire, if you check on the side of it, you will have a four digit numbers stamped on it, this number indicates the week and the year it was manufactured, the expiration date will be four years later. This number indicates that the tire was manufactured on the 7th week of 2007 or which is the same February 2007 that would place the expiration date in February 2011. If we use expired tires these are likely to burst and result in a very serious or even fatal accident, it would be a good practice for us to check our tires and make sure they have not passed their expiration date.
Another important point that we miss many times is proper tyre inflation and this has claimed many lives. On the side of the tyre, you will also find the maximum allowable inflating pressure for that tyre, some have a maximum pressure of 32 psi, some are rated 44psi and even 50psi. Check your specific tyre to see what the maximum pressure is for your tyres. It is an acceptable practice to have your tyres a few pound below maximum allowable pressure but not too much. Different tyres are designed for different pressure. You will find your maximum tyre inflation pressure on a small number next to the rim on the side of tyre, never exceed the pressure.
Lower pressure increases tyre heat, infrared photograph of tyres tested at high speed damaging heat increases as pressure drops. Another important point to consider is the load we put on our tyres, many times we overload our vehicles without paying attention to the strain t his put on our tyres, exceeding the maximum load rating on a tire may also lead to tyre failure and could result in an accident.
In conclusion, please be defensive in your driving. Remember that a lot of people you see as drivers are bad road users. Don’t let your safety depend on their actions. Avoid tailgating. A lot will drive impaired mostly by alcohol. Watch out for errors. Enjoy your drive as we look forward to the forthcoming celebration.
