05-Oct-2007
Seat Belts: Why do we not care outside our own car?
I have just returned from a trip to the States which involved a couple of hotel stays and trips to my company sites.
It is absolutely drummed into us that personal safety is paramount and we have "Golden Rules" covering wearing of seat belts in road vehicles.
On a hotel courtesy shuttle in the Naperville area of Ohio, I learned that a fellow passenger was a work colleague in another part of our Group. When I pointed out that she should know better from her safety indoctrination and company safety culture that she should have fitted her seat beltbefore moving off, I was told in a matter of a fact way that "I like to take a risk" and there was no attempt to wear the available seat belt.
To be frank, I was dumbstruck at the response and didn't challenge further, but her laissez-faire attitude could have put the driver of the shuttle at risk (she was sat immediately behind him) and I suppose me too if we were side-swiped as I was sat alongside her.
What amazes me is that we have a near 100% take-up of seat belt wear when we are in our own cars yet everyone thinks that they are above average skilled drivers and presumably safer than average (obviously something is wong when greater than 65% of us think that we are above average), yet we don't think it that important to wear seat belts when travelling in other public transport with a driver of unknown skills.
Come on folks, if we all truly believe that we are above average drivers, then you have to accept that statistically we are getting into vehicles driven by below average drivers.
So.... belt up....and shut up!! Put your seat belt on when you are challenged without being a smart Alec (or Alexa) and putting fellow passenger's lives in danger.
It is absolutely drummed into us that personal safety is paramount and we have "Golden Rules" covering wearing of seat belts in road vehicles.
On a hotel courtesy shuttle in the Naperville area of Ohio, I learned that a fellow passenger was a work colleague in another part of our Group. When I pointed out that she should know better from her safety indoctrination and company safety culture that she should have fitted her seat beltbefore moving off, I was told in a matter of a fact way that "I like to take a risk" and there was no attempt to wear the available seat belt.
To be frank, I was dumbstruck at the response and didn't challenge further, but her laissez-faire attitude could have put the driver of the shuttle at risk (she was sat immediately behind him) and I suppose me too if we were side-swiped as I was sat alongside her.
What amazes me is that we have a near 100% take-up of seat belt wear when we are in our own cars yet everyone thinks that they are above average skilled drivers and presumably safer than average (obviously something is wong when greater than 65% of us think that we are above average), yet we don't think it that important to wear seat belts when travelling in other public transport with a driver of unknown skills.
Come on folks, if we all truly believe that we are above average drivers, then you have to accept that statistically we are getting into vehicles driven by below average drivers.
So.... belt up....and shut up!! Put your seat belt on when you are challenged without being a smart Alec (or Alexa) and putting fellow passenger's lives in danger.
Labels: driving, HSE, HSSE, safety, seat belt
07-Dec-2006
Hands-free more dangerous than Drink Driving
Would you feel safe to drive after a couple of glasses of wine....the answer is probably no!Yet Britain has still to wake up and realise that research has shown that using a mobile phone, no matter whether it is hands-free or hand-held makes you a greater risk on the road than many drunk drivers. The table at the top is a flavour of an article at BBC News that is over 4 years old that talks to the risks in greater detail.
So why is it that on the 3rd anniversary of a UK law banning hand-held calling when driving, that so many people still choose to ignore it and consider it reasonable to drive at speed with a phone clamped to their ear? It is not completely safe to operate hands-free and I would support any legislation to outlaw it, but it gives around 20ft shorter reaction distance at 70mph to operate at least with hands-free kit.
Many countries have introduced absolute bans with heavy fines....see http://www.cellular-news.com/car_bans/ for a very recent list.
It is ridiculous that hands-free kits are marketed as a SAFE alternative. They are NOT SAFE as the above countries obviously agree. It is high time that the Police showed zero tolerance to mobile phone callers and they are treated to the same public humilation and potential penalties as drunk drivers are receiving, and slap them with a driving ban.
If you are guilty of making or receiving calls when driving I ask you to reflect.....would you feel that it wasn't the drivers fault if he didn't stop in time and you lost your son, daughter, partner, parent or other loved one and found out that he was engaged in a phone call at the time of the accident? As the table shows, it will need close to 50% greater stopping distance if someone is making a call when driving.
In those circumstances, I suspect that you would not find that charity in your heart, so please start by changing your own habits and switch off the phone when you are driving, lest you be the one seeking compassion from the bereaved.
With what I have told you here, you will never be able to argue it wasn't your fault and if you have any sense of decency you will be haunted forever by the "what if I hadn't made\taken that call".
Accidents are not usually chance events (maybe exceptions arising from the forces of nature); they are typically caused by someone's carelessness or not taking adequate preventative steps. All it takes for an accident is for one person not to adhere to the best safety practice even when not compelled by law, often with disastrous consequences to someone else.
Don't let yourself be that person saying "What if......." or "If only...".
Labels: driving, hand-held, hands-free, legislation, mobile ban
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