Hundreds of thousands of ambiguous situations are created on the roads every day, many of which lead to road accidents. The danger can arise both from the actions of the driver and from the traffic situation. In today's selection, we will analyze several potentially dangerous situations on the road, and how to behave in them in order to avoid an accident.
1. Overtaking
Overtaking is the most dangerous maneuver that can be done on public roads. And, perhaps, in general the most dangerous of all car maneuvers. The greatest danger when overtaking is a head-on collision, because in almost a hundred percent of cases it is a fatal accident for all its participants.
Interesting fact: Many professional racers report that they experience much less fear when racing at crazy speeds than when overtaking on a track. This is because, when overtaking, the driver needs to go into the oncoming lane, along which the oncoming traffic is moving.
There are two main types of overtaking. The first is the so-called "overtaking", when the speed of the overtaking person is much higher than the speed of the overtaken one. For such overtaking, the safe distance should be numerically 4–4.5 times the speed of the overtaken person. For example, to overtake a car at a speed of 100 km / h, you need 400 - 450 m. The second type of overtaking is a waiting overtaking, when the overtaking car drives at a speed equal to the speed of the overtaken one. This type of overtaking is more dangerous and is best avoided altogether. For him, the distance coefficient will increase to 5–5.5.
The safe distance to the oncoming car should be twice as much as the estimated overtaking distance. This maneuver should be performed only with good visibility, making sure that there is enough distance to the “oncoming” lane. Do not overtake on an incline or before a corner with limited visibility. Also, before you start overtaking, you need to look in the mirror to see if they are overtaking you.
It is dangerous to overtake after a car that is already overtaking, because behind it it is also impossible to accurately discern the situation ahead. The driver of this car calculates the distance only for his car, and when he returns to his lane, you will only be opposite the overtaken car, that is, in the most dangerous phase of overtaking, and the distance to the “oncoming lane” will be insufficient. Therefore, overtaking should be done only being clearly confident that all safety conditions are met. The main rule here: "don't see, don't overtake!"
2. Riding a follower
Often on the highways and almost constantly in the city there are situations when you need to follow someone for a long time. In this case, it is necessary to maintain a clear distance and correctly guide your eyes. It is considered that the safe distance to the vehicle in front is numerically equal to half of the speed. We remember about similar calculations for overtaking and we find that at a speed of 60 km / h it will be safe to keep a distance of 30 m.
With distance everything is clear, but what does it mean to "lead the gaze". The fact is that gaze guidance in driving is a separate and very important topic. In short, in the stream you need to look not only at the stern of the car in front, but also to look behind it. In case of any problems ahead, an abrupt stop of the flow will not take you by surprise.
3. Passage of intersections
Standing at an intersection before turning to the left, do not turn the steering wheel in advance. After all, if a car drives into you from behind, it is quite possible that it will push you straight into the oncoming lane in the very thick of the intersection. And this is very dangerous. Therefore, you need to wait for a turn at an intersection only with "straight" wheels, and turn the steering wheel while driving.
4. Drive - drive
A modern person can do a bunch of things at the same time - this is the rhythm of life today. However, this skill of his should in no way relate to driving. After all, it’s one thing to have and, say, watch funny videos, and another thing is to drive a car in a city with a bunch of other cars in the stream and children at a pedestrian crossing. Therefore, there is no driving: talking on the phone, manicure, funny videos, singing, etc.
5. Sneezing
We don’t think about how dangerous sneezing while driving is. After all, while sneezing, a person closes his eyes for at least a second, and the car during this time at a speed of 100 km / h drives 28 m. At the same time, during sneezing, the muscles reflexively contract, which can lead to twitching by the steering wheel, which is extremely dangerous on slippery surface. Therefore, during a severe attack of allergies, it is better to stay at home or go by public transport, because a simple allergy can cause a serious accident.
Continuing the topic, read: Things not to do while driving to avoid putting yourself and your passengers at risk