DRIVING SAFELY DURING HOT SEASON

Sun, 15 Oct 2017 10:03:58 +0000

THE rate of road traffic accidents increases every hot season. This trend has continued. Even this year, the number of reported traffic accidents has increased since September. So what should drivers do to prevent road traffic accidents in the hot season?

The continued increase in road traffic accidents during hot season, from September to October, has forced some people to spiritualize the cause of these accidents. I have heard many hyper-spiritual Christians claim that road traffic accidents increase during hot season because it’s the period that Satanists make sacrifices to the Devil.

They have even accused some transport operators, whose buses got involved in road crashes, of practicing Satanism. They insist that the Devil wants more blood during hot season. When I ask ‘why does the Devil need more blood during hot season – the blood of travelers for that matter?’ No one gives me a convincing response. I don’t dispute that Satanism is real. But if we blame road traffic accidents on Satanism, we will fail to find realistic practical solutions.

But if we blame road traffic accidents on Satanism, we will fail to find realistic practical solutions.

The view of finding a spiritual excuse for high road traffic accidents is so deep in the hearts of some people. Whether or not this is because Zambia is Christian nation, I am not sure. Probably my most unforgettable experience was when a certain gentleman made a very shocking accusation which left me paralyzed. I have never heard of such an accusation, before or since. The gentleman looked at me and said “these accidents in hot season are caused by Muslims during their fasting in the month  of Ramadan!” This was so shocking that it made me look around to ensure that there were no Muslim brothers listening because I didn’t know how they would react. While trembling, I lowered my voice and whispered “are you sure of your allegations? Do you have evidence?” His response was simply “but why should these road traffic accidents coincide with the month of Ramadan?”  I am sure now you understand why I got paralyzed. I never imagined someone can go to such extremes of accusing anyone or anything without proof. In case you are wondering about my spiritual stance. I am a Christian but I have Muslim friends too.

. You need to remember that various seasons have unique safety hazards.

In this article, I want to highlight several safety tips to help you drive safely during the hot season. These are simple but effective safety tips that you can practice regardless of your religious affiliation. You need to remember that various seasons have unique safety hazards. For instance rain season has unique hazards such as rainfall which pose a risk of reduced visibility when driving or mud which pose a risk of getting stuck. Similarly the hot season has plenty of unique safety hazards which you need to know and be able to find ways to manage them.

The first critical hazard during the hot season is that there is increased risk of tyre bursts. Having a tyre burst can be dangerous depending on the speed you driving at and the type of tyre which has bursted. The higher the speed, the more dangerous it is when you have a tyre burst. On the other hand, having a front tyre burst is more dangerous than having a rear tyre burst.

You may be asking yourself ‘why does the risk of tyre burst increase in hot season?’ Well there are many reasons. During the hot season, the sun becomes very hot. This makes the road surface hot which, in turn, makes the tyre to become hot. In addition, applying brakes also causes the rim to become hot which, in turn, will cause the tyre hot. The heat from the tyre is transferred to the air in the tyre or tube. This will make air to expand because gas molecules have acquired additional heat energy from the hot tyre. The expansion of air causes tyre pressure to increase.

The first critical hazard during the hot season is that there is increased risk of tyre bursts.

Moreover, as the tyre rotates, the gas molecules rotate and bump into each other more vigorously. This contributes to more generation of heat in the tyre. I hope I haven’t lost you up to now. The bottom line is that the heat from road surface, brakes and movements of gas molecules makes air pressure in the tyre to expand resulting in increased tyre pressure. As you already know, the higher the pressure, the higher the chance of tyre burst.

With this in mind, you can easily identify safe ways to practice to reduce the risk of tyre burst during hot season. You need to ensure that the tyre is not over pressured to allow for expansion of pressure caused by heating of the tyre. Unlike driving during the hot day, driving in the morning or evening will reduce the risk of tyre burst because the road surface is relatively cool. Minimizing how often or how prolonged you apply brakes will also reduce the risk of tyre burst. Driving at a uniform speed will help you avoid applying breaks unnecessarily. So every time you apply breaks too frequently, remember you are not just finishing brake pads fast but you are putting your tyres at a higher risk of tyre burst as well. Driving at a lower speed will reduce the heat generation because gas molecules will not be bumping into each other very vigorously.

Minimizing how often or how prolonged you apply brakes will also reduce the risk of tyre burst.

Furthermore ensure that all the tyres are in good working condition. Avoid using finished tyres especially on a long journey. Always conduct tyre safety checks before starting and during your journey. If you notice that the tyre has a crack or it’s bulging, replace it immediately. Don’t wait until it bursts. Don’t overload your vehicle as this exerts unnecessary stress on the tyres which will contribute to tyre bursts.

When you have a tyre burst while driving, never ever apply brakes. Applying brakes after a tyre burst may cause your vehicle to overturn. So when you have a tyre burst, don’t panic. Stay calm. Hold the steering firmly with both hands in such a way that you can maintain proper vehicle control until the vehicle safely comes to a stop. I repeat never apply brakes when you have a tyre burst.

The second critical hazard during hot season is that there is an increased risk of losing vehicle control. I am sure you have heard of road traffic accidents which were caused because the driver lost control. Loss of vehicle control often results in the vehicle getting off the road. It’s the driver who should control the vehicle and not the vehicle controlling the driver or controlling itself. The vehicle needs to be controlled every second of the journey. Put your vehicle under control always. Don’t allow it to misbehave.

When you have a tyre burst while driving, never ever apply brakes. Applying brakes after a tyre burst may cause your vehicle to overturn.

Again you be wondering ‘why does the risk of loss of vehicle control increase?’ There are many reasons. But in this article, I will only mention one which is the major one. The major cause of loss of vehicle control is dozing or sleeping on a wheel. Dozing for just a few seconds can be very dangerous.  The fun thing about dozing is that you may doze off without realizing that you are actually dozing. The simple rule is that when you feel sleepy while driving, stop and rest. We all know that during hot season people easily doze off. This is a common disease for everyone. Last week I attended an entrepreneurship workshop. During the workshop, the facilitator kept on emphasizing that “no one should be ‘listening with closed eyes’.” This was a polite way of saying ‘no one should doze off’. Besides all the constant cautions, our bodies would fail us. So some participants would still doze off. Whenever the facilitator noticed someone dozing, he would force us all to stand up and start dancing. Standing up and dancing worked for us but it can’t work for a driver. While driving, you can’t stand up and start dancing unless you stop and park first.

The major cause of loss of vehicle control is dozing or sleeping on a wheel. Dozing for just a few seconds can be very dangerous.  The fun thing about dozing is that you may doze off without realizing that you are actually dozing. The simple rule is that when you feel sleepy while driving, stop and rest.

I have also observed that dozing is a disease my pastor struggles with among us the congregants every Sunday. Before and during the sermon, he would caution us “no one should be listening while ‘interceding’.” A polite way of saying ‘no one should doze off’. Despite the strong warning from the spiritual leader, our bodies still misbehave. Some congregants still doze off.

The human body has a biological clock. The body itself knows when to sleep and when to wake. When such time comes, the body will respond accordingly and automatically. Tolerance to dozing off differs from person to person. However the tendency to doze off for everyone increases during afternoon and late in the night. The body itself will tell you that you are tired or fatigued. It will also tell you that you are sick or hungry. When you are hungry, the solution is to eat. Similarly when you are dozing, the solution is to rest or do something else.

Sometimes drivers force themselves to continue driving even when their bodies are very tired just because they want to keep their arrival times. They resort to using energy drinks to stay awake. Like alcohol and medicines, energy drinks have effects which may interfere with your judgment during driving. Avoid driving when you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Some of the factors that increase the risk of dozing include overeating, tiredness, fatigue, stress, sickness, some medicines and hangover. Understanding what is likely to cause you to doze will help you to proactively deal with it. There are some signs which can tell you that you are likely to doze off. These include when you progressively become less active, yawning, delayed reaction time, lack of attention and loss of concentration. When you notice any of those signs, you need to do something about it before it’s too late.

They resort to using energy drinks to stay awake. Like alcohol and medicines, energy drinks have effects which may interfere with your judgment during driving. Avoid driving when you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Never sleep behind the wheel. To achieve this, you need to put the following into practice. Don’t embark on a journey when you are sick, tired or fatigued. You need to be physically, mentally and emotionally fit for the journey. Plan your journey well. If you are on a long journey, take enough breaks to rest. It’s recommended that you need to rest for 15 minutes for every 2 hours of driving. When you find a layby, park and stretch yourself. Play some music as you drive to keep yourself entertained. Ensure that you have plenty of fresh air inside your vehicle. If the air conditioning system of your vehicle isn’t working, open the windows. Take plenty of water and eat enough food but don’t overeat.

Driving safely in hot season demands that you need to anticipate emergencies. In hot season, vehicle breakdowns increase. It’s common to find a broken down car. Avoid hitting into it by driving carefully. Because of too much heat, bolts and nuts expand and untighten themselves. Conduct frequent safety checks during the journey. Don’t ignore any defect. Detect and correct any defect before it becomes worse. In hot season, the cooling system becomes compromised because the cooling air around the vehicle is equally hot. All these and many other factors affect your safety during hot season. Before you blame Satanists, try these safety tips. Drive safely. I would like to hear from you how these safety articles are helping you. Stay safe. Zambia needs you.

For all your comments, kindly contact the author on cell +260 975 255770 or email: marksucceed@gmail.com

Mark Kunda—Safety Consultant