A Holiday Message from SafetyConnect

2024 is right around the corner and festivities are about to kick in.

As we dive headfirst into the festive and winter wonderland, it's time to wrap ourselves in more than just cozy blankets—let's embrace the warmth of safety too!

In this edition of Safety Herald, we're unwrapping the gift of wisdom with some festive safety tips.

Your Guide to Road Safety this Christmas and New Year’s Eve

As the festive spirit sweeps us off our feet, it's crucial to remember that road safety is the best gift you can give yourself and others. With holiday travels in full swing, and merriment making spirits brighter than ever, it's tempting to let loose.

During Christmas and New Year, road accidents surge due to increased alcohol consumption and heightened travel. Festivities often involve social gatherings where alcohol flows freely, leading to impaired driving. Additionally, the surge in travel amplifies the risk of accidents, necessitating heightened awareness and responsible behavior to ensure safety on the roads.

However, ensuring safe travels during Christmas and New Year's is not just responsible; it's the key to making cherished memories and returning home safely to your families.

• Plan Ahead: Chart your course in advance, ensuring ample time for a relaxed journey to your holiday destination.
• Vehicle Check: Prioritize safety by meticulously examining lights, indicators, brakes, and tires for faults before departure.
• Following Distance: Maintain a minimum 2-second gap, increasing it in adverse conditions—night, fog, rain, or wet roads.
• Civility on Roads: Stay courteous amid traffic, resisting retaliation. Expect others to not be as obedient to the law as yourself.
• Sober Driving: Never drive impaired by alcohol or drugs. Discourage impaired driving within your social circles.
• Minimize Distractions: Steer clear of distractions like cell phones—texting, emailing, or social media—ensuring focused attention on the road.
• Weather Check: Stay informed about weather conditions, adapting your speed to ensure safety in diverse road and weather situations.
• Stay Awake: Prioritize alertness; avoid driving if drowsy. Share driving responsibilities if there's another licensed person in the vehicle.
• Regular Breaks: Schedule breaks to combat fatigue, enhancing overall travel safety during the festive season.
• Safe Speeds: Adhere to speed limits conducive to road and weather conditions, ensuring a secure and joyful journey.

Tips for Safe Driving in the Fog

Winter is here! While this festive season is offering the much-needed respite from the scorching heat, winter has its downfalls. With snow, fog, and slippery roads taking over the world, driving in winter conditions becomes a hazard.

In countries such as India, driving in fog is quite a hassle. If certain winter driving tips are followed, it will become easier to navigate the roads and have a safe trip.

• Avoid Overspeeding and Overtaking: Lack of visibility means that overtaking and speeding should be avoided at all costs.
• Use low-beam lights: In fog, it is always advisable to use low-beam lights as high-beam lights get diffused, making them even more difficult to see. Low beam lights like rear lights will make your car visible to other road users. Also turn on fog lights, if you have them.
• Don’t Tailgate: Maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles is an important winter driving tip. Since it is harder for vehicles to see each other, this will help you to avoid hitting other vehicles and apply sudden brakes without any damage.
• Following Lane Discipline: Don’t change lanes abruptly in fog. Just as the fog hampers your vision, the ability of other drivers to see you will also be significantly reduced.
• Keep your Car Clean: The foggy weather will cloud up your windows and windshield. This moisture build-up further decreases your visibility. Make use of windshield wipers and defrosters to clear these surfaces. Be sure to adjust the settings to match the condition outside.
• Early Signalling: Develop the habit of signaling earlier than usual to alert other vehicles about you. As it is hard to see through the fog, giving other drivers some extra time to see your signal is always safe.
• Rely on the Speedometer: The properties of the fog create the optical illusion that you are driving slower than your actual speed. Therefore, do not increase your speed while driving in fog simply by making a visual guess, instead keep a watch on the speedometer.

Resources:

• Tips for Driving Safely During the Holiday Season: In this article, the CDC emphasizes diverse driving safety tips tailored to specific age groups, covering child passengers, teen drivers, and older adults.
• Dangerous Driving Trends Around New Year’s Eve: A brief insight into the dangers associated with driving on New Year’s Eve.