Driving for long distances can be an enjoyable experience. Whether you’re going on a road trip or simply trying to get from Point A to Point B, the experience of driving at your own pace can be a rewarding one.
However, driving for longer periods of time can also expose you to new hazards and risks such as driver fatigue. It’s important for everyone on the road to be practising safe motoring habits, and this is particularly true for those who have a long journey ahead of them.
With the winter months now here, there’s even more reason to drive safely at all times. Rainfall, snow and ice can add an extra element to the experience that drivers need to account for. According to the Transport for NSW Centre for Road Safety, in the year ended December 2012, wet surface conditions were a factor in 8,404 crashes. Of these, 51 were fatal, 3,162 resulted in an injury and 5,191 had no casualties.
Meanwhile, snow or ice on the roads was a factor in 80 crashes during that year, 28 of which resulted in injury and 52 with no casualties.
Having a well stocked first aid kit in your car is a handy item at all times, because you never know when you might need to administer immediate care for yourself or others on the road. However, a kit that doesn’t have the right essentials isn’t going to be much use, so it’s important to create yours carefully.
When you’re out traveling, you never know what emergencies or unexpected events might occur. Even though it’s impossible to predict what could happen on any given day, being as prepared as you can will certainly go a long way towards your safety and that of other drivers as well.
Having a car means you can travel far and wide, over terrain both familiar and unknown. However, when you’re out on the roads it’s important to remember that different conditions will often require extra special care in order to avoid accidents and negotiate hazards successfully.
There are many factors that can result in a crash, from speed or driver fatigue to external disturbances on the road. However, some types of crashes seem to be more common than others.
The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) is calling for a greater focus on infrastructure funding across the country, in the hope that it will support better roads in every state and territory.
Though it’s compulsory to obtain a CTP green slip for your vehicle, fewer NSW drivers may end up claiming under the scheme with road maintenance funding at an all-time high in 2013 to 2014.