The SAS Survival Driver’s Handbook

It will assist the car’s stability if you spread your load evenly — and that includes passengers. Don’t have all the heaviest passengers on one side of the car, or all in the back. Too much weight in the rear causes light steering, and if one side is carrying a much heavier load than the other you could have problems when cornering.

Never allow passengers to travel in the luggage area or on a folded down rear seat.

Inside the passenger compartment, keep things stowed away securely. Avoid having sharp or solid objects like glass bottles or hard-edged toys in the car, as these can cause serious injuries if the brakes are applied sharply. Keep the parcel shelf clear of packages to eliminate the risk of flying objects and to ensure good rear vision. Clear the driver’s footwell of loose objects, too, as these can easily get under the pedals and cause an accident.

If you need to hang suits or dresses in the car, use the hooks provided, and make sure they do not swing around or interfere with rear vision.

Safe Driver (#ulink_e42120bf-45a0-54c1-9015-ced866826049)

Car manufacturers are making safer cars than ever before, and yet the number of accidents continues to rise. It’s possible that improvements in technology actually make matters worse. Some motorists seem to think that because their vehicle is equipped with anti-locking brakes and airbags it gives them the freedom to go even faster without getting hurt. But even the best technology cannot save you from the consequences of taking stupid risks.

So what makes a safe driver? Is it quick reaction time? The ability to handle a high-performance car well at high speed? Skill at the controls? Years of experience? Training in skills such as controlling a skid?

Ironically, the more skill and accuracy with which you handle the controls, the more confident you are that your speedy reaction times allow you to cope with high speeds, the more you believe that you are a good driver… the greater the statistical chance of your being involved in an accident. The reality is that few drivers are anywhere near as good as they think they are.

The key to being a safe driver is to remember the four As:

ALERTNESS

AWARENESS

ATTITUDE

ANTICIPATION

Alertness (#ulink_dd5a958e-5de8-543f-9102-7ab948600bdf)

About a third of all accidents are rear-end shunts, where one vehicle collides with the back of another. This is a classic example of what happens when a motorist is not paying sufficient attention. Being alert means being on the look out for hazards, anticipating problems before they occur and responding quickly. It is an offence to drive without due care and attention, or to drive while under the influence of substances which are likely to impair your ability to perceive risks and take action to avoid them.

A number of factors can interfere with your ability to remain alert, among them: drink and drugs, medical conditions (such as hay fever and sight disorders), stress, fatigue, and allowing yourself to be distracted by things going on inside the car.

Careless driving is punishable by law. While the vehicle is moving, it is illegal to use a hand-held telephone, read a newspaper or map, tune a car radio or change a CD or cassette — or anything else that causes the driver not to be in a position to respond in the event of an emergency.

In Britain, careless driving can lead to fines, disqualification or endorsement of your licence. The police can prosecute for careless driving even if there has not been an accident. It’s no use pleading that you were careless because you were tired-the law takes a dim view of motorists who drive when they’re not fit to do so.

ALCOHOL (#ulink_4f9a5359-5a6f-5dc5-9c42-19b6b64acb53)

Around 20 per cent of all road traffic deaths are drink-related. Alcohol is a powerful drug which slows down the processes occurring in the brain, so that you take longer to react to unexpected situations. It inspires a false sense of confidence, affects your judgement of speed, distance and risk, and reduces your co-ordination — turning avoidable hazards into potentially lethal ones.

Just one drink will impair your driving to some extent. And because the effects can be quite subtle to begin with, you may feel as though you’re perfectly sober. It’s almost impossible to calculate with any accuracy how much you can drink and be safe to drive, because everyone absorbs alcohol at a different rate, depending on sex, weight, metabolism, age, the type of drink consumed, and how much you’ve had to eat. Some people can be seriously affected even though they’re well below the legal limit.

And don’t let anyone tell you that you’ll be all right if you stick to beer or cider rather than spirits. The amount of alcohol in half a pint of beer is roughly equivalent to the alcohol content of a glass of wine or a pub measure of spirits — more, if you’re drinking extra-strength beer or cider. Even alcoholic sodas, which look and taste like soft drinks, can push you over the limit; at 4.2–5.5 per cent proof, they contain as much alcohol as many lagers.

Once you have alcohol in your bloodstream it takes time for the liver to break it down. The average person’s liver can only cope with one unit (that’s about half a pint of beer or a glass of wine) per hour. You can drink all the black coffee you like, swim or exercise, take vitamins or hangover cures — it won’t reduce the level of alcohol in your system. So if you’ve been out for an evening’s drinking, it may be that the following morning, or even lunchtime the next day, will still find you over the limit. Police in some countries set up checkpoints to breathalyse drivers on their way to work and catch out the drinkers. Unless you have your own personal breathalyser kit, there’s no way of telling for sure whether you will pass the test. So take public transport the next day and get a good night’s sleep before driving again.

Legal limits for the amount of alcohol allowed in your bloodstream vary, depending on which country you’re driving in. In Britain it is 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. The amount of drink required to reach this level varies from person to person.

The police have the right to demand a breath test even if you have not committed any traffic offence or been involved in an accident. All the law requires is that they have ‘reasonable suspicion’ that you may have been drinking.

The penalties for driving over the legal limit are severe. You risk being disqualified from driving, fined or imprisoned (if you kill or injure someone as a result of driving under the influence, the fine or prison sentence increases to match the seriousness of the offence).

When planning to drive abroad, check out the motoring regulations before you go. Some countries have much stricter blood alcohol levels, and there may be regulations prohibiting you from carrying (let alone drinking from) open bottles of beer, wine or spirits in the car.

REMEMBER

Even if the accident is someone else’s fault, when you’re over the limit, you’ll come out the loser. The pedestrian who steps out into the path of your car may be twice as drunk as you — but you will be the one who is breathalysed and prosecuted.

The consequences of drinking and driving don’t end with legal action. Drivers with drink driving convictions face higher insurance premiums. Disqualification means inconvenience and the expense of extra travel costs, and if your job involves driving you could find yourself out of work. And if you kill or maim someone, you’ll have to live with your guilt and the disapproval of your friends and relations. Of course it may just as easily be you who is killed or injured.

Rather than risk the consequences, avoid the problem: DON’T drink and drive. Leave the car at home and take public transport or a taxi instead, or arrange for someone who has spent the evening drinking non-alcoholic beverages to drive you home.

DRUGS (#ulink_dd12a13f-a9a5-58f1-85f5-0bcad6437bde)

Drugs vary in their effect on the body, according to whether they are depressants or stimulants. Some substances remain in your system for two weeks or more. Like alcohol, they impair control and co-ordination; some have more extreme effects, playing tricks with your vision and perception. Illegal drugs are also suspected of being a factor in a number of road rage attacks.

If anything, the stigma attached to a drug-related motoring offence is worse than for drink driving. Even if your line of work doesn’t involve driving, your employment prospects will suffer when it becomes known that you have a criminal record as the result of drug taking.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS (#ulink_7f376b8d-cf00-5b90-a716-dbbf709f62ea)

If you don’t feel well, don’t drive — especially when taking medication. Many drugs cause drowsiness, either when taken on their own or when mixed with other drugs or drink. Some medications cause the pupils to dilate, making the eyes extremely sensitive to strong light. Always ask your doctor whether prescribed drugs will impair your driving performance, and check the label or ask the pharmacist about over-the-counter remedies.

Even without the influence of drugs, your powers of concentration and the speed of your responses are reduced by illness. Something as mundane as a common cold can be dangerous at the wheel. A violent sneeze makes your eyes close and your body jerk, with potentially disastrous consequences if you swerve as a result — and at 70 mph you will cover well over a hundred feet in that second your eyes are closed.

Any injury which impedes the movement of your arms or legs will diminish your control of the vehicle and make driving difficult. Bandages, plasters, and splints will get in the way, sprains or heavy bruising will slow you down. If you suffer discomfort in the muscles or joints when driving, make sure that the mirrors are adjusted to keep head movement to a minimum. Install larger mirrors if need be. Use a cushion or back rest to give more support while driving.

Diseases of the ear can affect your balance as well as your hearing. Two-wheel transport like motorcycles and pedal cycles are out of the question while you’re in this condition. Motorists, too, should exercise caution. If you find that turning your head leaves you giddy and disoriented, you will not be able to look over your shoulder to check your blind spots — which means you are not safe to drive. Consult your doctor.

As we get older, our hearing deteriorates. The high-pitched tones are often the first to go — which means that it can be difficult to hear horns and emergency vehicle sirens. To compensate for a hearing impairment, keep the radio low and check the mirrors more frequently (every three seconds). Have your hearing tested regularly, and if you are issued with a hearing aid, wear it.

HAYFEVER (#ulink_4034c3c8-42eb-51cd-ac10-7b91ba8f145c)

One in ten drivers suffer from hay fever. When the pollen count is high the eyes swell and become sore and itchy. Even with the windows and sunroof closed, pollen-saturated air comes in through the vents. In addition to the sneezing fits and the difficulty of seeing when your eyes are watering, hay fever sufferers are likely to have trouble staying awake. It can be difficult to get a good night’s sleep when the symptoms are at their worst, and antihistamines taken to ease the condition can cause drowsiness.

If you are badly affected by hay fever it is safer not to drive. When you have no choice but to drive, take precautions. Use non-sedative antihistamines, following the instructions on the label carefully (do not mix with other drugs without first checking with your pharmacist what the consequences will be). There are a number of non-sedative antihistamines available over the counter at pharmacies that will not make you sleepy. Cortisone drugs can help to suppress a ticklish nose. Don’t wait until you have an attack, take preventive measures: ask your chemist about eye drops or nasal sprays which prevent the pollen getting to sensitive membranes. Wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes from irritating bright sunlight may also help.

Some new cars have filters that stop pollen spores from passing through the vents. If your car is not equipped with these, close all windows, turn off fans and close air vents.

STRESS (#ulink_a4ebfddc-1519-5979-9a23-382c9faf6b99)

It’s important to be mentally as well as physically fit when you drive. Driving is a stressful task at the best of times, because you have to be constantly alert for hazards posed by road conditions and other road users. Any motorist who feels no anxiety whatsoever when behind the wheel is obviously not awake to the potential dangers. But too high a level of anxiety overloads the brain and prevents you from making calm, rational decisions. If your mind is full of the blazing row you’ve just had with a partner or colleague, or if you let yourself get worked up about being late for an appointment because you’ve been stuck in a traffic jam for the last half-hour, you’re going to get distracted from the job in hand. This often results in late decision-making and violent braking.

Try to find ways of coping with stress and combating aggression (see the section on Attitude below). Research has shown that the risk of being involved in an accident increases when you are under the kind of severe stress that follows a bereavement or the break-up of a relationship. After receiving bad news, it can be very difficult to concentrate on driving. Switch to public transport for a while, or get a friend to chauffeur you until you recover.

SIGHT DEFECTS (#ulink_4034c3c8-42eb-51cd-ac10-7b91ba8f145c)

Sight is critical to safe driving. If you cannot see properly you cannot assess traffic conditions and hazards. Some countries require drivers to undergo eye tests as part of the licence renewal procedure, but in Britain and elsewhere there is only one compulsory sight check, which forms part of the driving test. Having passed the test and gained a licence, a driver could, if he or she chose, go for 50 years without having their eyes tested again. It is estimated that 50 per cent of drivers on Britain’s roads have some form of sight defect, and as many as 25 per cent fall below the minimum legal requirement.

Eyesight can deteriorate with age or as a result of disorders like glaucoma. Symptoms may develop so gradually that you will not even be aware there is a problem until an eye test reveals it. This is why it is essential to have your eyes checked once a year until you are 60, and every six months after that. Sophisticated machines can detect early warning signs of problems like cataracts and glaucoma, and will also reveal defects such as poor depth perception due to long-sightedness or near-sightedness, colour blindness, tunnel vision, and night blindness: