Tips on Driving Safely

At this time of the year, many people take their annual holidays and with a few festivals, many also take the opportunity to return to their hometowns. Whatever the reason, it means that there is long-distance driving involved and for the benefit of motorists, PIAM (the General Insurance Association of Malaysia) offers the following tips:

FOCUS ON DRIVING
Drive with a large “anticipation zone”. Look ahead of you far enough to get an idea of what is ahead so you are not caught by surprise.

Keep your radio volume to a reasonable level and not so loud that you can’t hear the horn from another car or even your tyre bursting.

Do not drive if you feel you are under stress.

Don’t talk to passengers too much (and don’t turn your head towards them when talking!) and if needed, ask them to help navigate.

Do not daydream and maintain a high level of attention on driving.

MAKE SURE YOU CAN SEE CLEARLY
Have your eyesight checked annually.

Clean the inside and outside of the windscreen and all windows. Clean the mirrors and headlights too (dirt can reduce headlight output by as much as 70%).

Switch on your headlights when driving in the rain, even if it is daytime. And slow down on wet roads.

Always turn on the headlights when driving during the half hour before sunset and the half hour after sunrise.

Do not wear tinted glasses or sunglasses when driving in dim lighting conditions.

TAKE EXTRA STEPS TO BE A CAUTIOUS DRIVER
Always indicate to other drivers what you are going to do. Do so using your signals. Position your vehicle in the proper lane if turning off.

Check your mirrors frequently to know what is going on behind you.

Glance over your shoulder, and look in your mirrors, before changing lanes. Do not assume that just because you have switched on the turn signals, you can change lanes right away.

Always look behind before reversing the car. There may be a little child standing there.

Be alert for flashing lights coming up behind you. These may be emergency vehicles which need to be given way and you may not hear their siren.

Adjust the head restraint so that the top of it is aligned with the top of the head. This will minimise the possibility of whiplash during a collision.