... and then they crashed.

A study of car accidents by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute put cameras in cars to see what happens right before an accident. They found that in 80% of crashes the driver was distracted during the three seconds preceding the incident. In other words, they lost focus — dialed their cell phones, changed the station on the radio, took a bite of a sandwich, maybe checked a text — and didn't notice that something changed in the world around them. Then they crashed.

The world is changing fast and if we don't stay focused on the road ahead, resisting the distractions that, while tempting, are, well, distracting, then we increase the chances of a crash.

Personal Accident Insurance

What is Personal Accident Insurance?
Personal Accident Insurance protects the insured against accidental death and any form of disablement.

Why should one opt for Personal Accident Insurance?
Take any statistic on accidents (motor vehicle related or otherwise) in the country. With every passing year, all indicators are alarming and consistently in the red. Personal Accident Insurance provides adequate cover against any such accident.

One may argue that he/ she has sufficient insurance cover already. But keep in mind that life insurance covers only risk associated with death. If the insured dies, his/ her dependents will be provided with the sum assured (sum assured from both life insurance as well as personal accident insurance). But what if an accident leaves someone disabled, either partially or totally? Personal Accident Insurance becomes even more relevant in such a situation - it covers the risk associated with partial and total disablement in case of an accident.

What about the costs?
The premiums associated with Personal Accident Insurance is very low, usually even lower than that for pure term insurance. For e.g: Safe Guard, a policy promoted jointly by Axis Bank and Bajaj Alliance  offers accident insurance coverage of Rs.10 lakhs at an annual premium of Rs.990.

To put this in perspective, for a coverage of 10 lakhs, the corresponding premiums for other major insurance covers are given below:

• Term Insurance (for 35 year old male) - Rs.4330
• Motor Insurance (for 2008 model Honda Civic) - Rs.18,800
• Personal Accident Insurance - Rs.990 

Conclusion

To conclude, Personal Accident Insurance is a must have in anyone's insurance portfolio. It should not be considered as a substitute for basic life insurance, but it need to augment one's overall insurance requirement. For the applicable premium and the associated benefits, Personal Accident Insurance is well worth the money and is definitely a value buy!

NB: Personal Accident Insurance does not come under tax exemption categories.

No texting while driving ...a powerful film

A very powerful short film but indeed is also real life. Click here è http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8203091.stm

Don't use GSM while driving (Texting, Calling, etc...). You can still make that call or send that text later. Use your mobile only when you reach your destination (It will make a big difference).

Pass this on to your friends.

Walking

Walking & Talking A Bad Combo - HotHardware

Posted using ShareThis

Drink and Drive - The Facts

If you drive at twice the legal alcohol limit you are at least 30 times more likely to cause a road crash, than a driver who hasn't been drinking. 30 times !

Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. There is no foolproof way of drinking and staying under the limit, or of knowing how much an individual person can drink and still drive safely.

Each person's tolerance to alcohol depends on a range of factors including:

* weight
* gender
* age
* metabolism
* current stress levels
* whether they have eaten recently
* amount of alcohol

So the only safe option is not to drink alcohol if you plan to drive, and never offer an alcoholic drink to someone else who is intending to drive. The strategy for drink driving is to remind all drivers of the personal consequences of drink driving, and that a drink driving conviction can ruin your life.

Focus on the 'moment of doubt' around the second pint/drink, when drivers are considering whether or not to have another drink. And STOP.

Simple questions..

Simple questions..but difficult answers!!

1. Why don't Jeeps/ auto-rickshaws have seat belts? (With open doors and soft tops, aren't they twice as prone to danger as a car?)
2. Why is a helmet necessary only for a two-wheeler driver? (a driver can anticipate a potential fall/ accident, but what about the pillion rider, who will be caught totally unaware?)
3. Why are road rules not applicable for any vehicle with a "State"/ "MLA"/ "Government" tag? (Aren't these "public servants" meant to be role models for the rest of the society?)
4. Why do we build bus bays, when none of the public transport buses stop there? (Instead we seem to have bus-stops based on convenience, right around crowded junctions!)
5. Why is a two wheeler, husband on front and wife on pillion, draped in a 5m saree, holding a toddler in one hand, the other hand on husband's shoulder and seated at right angles to vehicle movement, considered "normal" on our roads?
6. A nursery school teacher need to have some minimum qualifications. How about one for vehicle driving instructors?
7. Why don't public transport vehicles undergo pollution control tests or display fitness certificates?
8. If speeding tipper lorries are branded killer lorries (and rightly so), what would you call a JCB with its dangling scoop (a scary toothed one that is), speeding on top of its capacity, with two overhead lights on, on a badly lit busy road, in the dark?
9. If three people on a two-wheeler is violation on road rules, what about 100 people packed in a public transport bus? (wonder what is the safety limit prescribed by the bus manufacturer)
10. If a 10 year old can be taught Java in school, why not include a subject on Road Safety before the kid starts college?

Unplugged !

An email I received goes like this :- (click on image.)

As some of you may know, we had a pretty scary incident recently. Attached are pictures of what remains of our 2007 Suburban. We are all okay but I wanted to warn everyone not to make the same mistake I did.

This fire resulted from leaving an Iphone charger/docking station plugged into the car outlet. It overheated and started a fire, while parked in our garage. PLEASE unplug anything you have in your car outlets once you turn off your car!

We were VERY fortunate that we accidentally found the fire, at 11pm, before going to bed and before it spread to the house. None of our garage heat detectors or house fire alarms went off.

Feel free to pass this along to anyone you want. Better safe than sorry.

No warnings in real life!

Entering a main road?

I have noticed that many motorists have a distinct, but irrational way of taking a turn to another road. This usually happens when a vehicle takes a turn into the main road from a side road, and in most cases defies three basic things in motor driving: good old common sense, scientific reasons and motor rules.

• Slow down/ Stop before entering a road (Common Sense)

Perhaps the most basic rule. Let us take an example - an auto rickshaw (can be any vehicle) taking a right turn to the main road from a side road usually just crosses the road and takes a customary glance over the shoulder towards the left after crossing the road! The case is even more noticeable when some one takes a turn from the left side - the turn is taken without even caring to look if there is vehicle approaching. Common sense says that the one coming from the side road should slow down or stop, watch if there is any vehicle, wait for it to pass and THEN enter the road.

• Always enter a road at right angles to it (Scientific)

I have a classified this as scientific, but this again is mostly common sense. The best visibility for a vehicle is from the front, where one does not have to really strain his/ her neck muscles to have a good view of the road being entered. For a four wheeler, this is the view from the front glass. If one needs to look through obstructing A/B-pillars and dark tinted side glass, visibility would be limited. Unobstructed and stress free view is obtained ONLY WHEN the vehicle enters a road at right angles to it. (there are some roads which enter at an angle to the road - be extra cautious in such roads - talk about scientifically designed roads!!)

• Keep left, till the turn is completed (Law/ Rule)

How many times have you noticed a vehicle (especially two wheelers) turning right from a side road, take the right side of the road being entered, continue head on against oncoming traffic, and then jump lanes to the left the moment oncoming traffic breaks? It goes without saying that such behavior is a mockery of common sense and road rules and near suicidal. The rule to be applied here is simple - LEFT IS RIGHT (on the road that is, and have no exceptions to this rule).

Want to see the above things kicked in the butt? For people from Trivandrum, observe the traffic on the road which joins the by-pass (Kazhakkuttom - Kovalam) from Aakkulam or have a look at the Technopark main entrance at morning hours on a week day!

Anything to help ...

http://jalopnik.com/5146211/thai-police-erect-fake-crash-sites-to-deter-drunk-driving

I had a crash today

Simbly Safe listeners,
Just to update you on a very interesting incident that I went through today. I was on leave - a planned leave, with a list of To Do items to complete. Here I set off to the city in my WagonR close to afternoon. I am nearing a small junction, no big rush on the road. A bike right in front of me slow down, I slow down, and here is hear a "DHUM" sound on my right side.
I screech to a halt - after all, I don't have to try too hard, since am almost at 20 kmph, thanks to the guy in the front. What happens next is, the "DHUM" sound is repeated on the right fender.
Up in the air goes 2 people on the bike and they & the bike fall down in front of me.....
What followed was an argument that stated that the fault is completely on my side, since I did not anticipate a speeding bike next to my right side. Forget it, as ended up in a lose-lose since both of us had almost equal damages.
As am writing it I'm happy for myself for 2 things :
1. I was on a very controllable speed - they finally landed on the road right in front of my car - if I was speeding, the situation could have been entirely different.
2. While I braked and halted, I did not move a bit from my seat. I had my belts on!
One thing, which I am really irritated about - though there were safe, THEY WERE NOT USING HELMETS! What if they had crashed with the head on the road? I'm thankful to god!

Parallel Parking

To parallel park successfully, you need a space about 4-6 feet longer than your car. Then, it’s all about timing!

1. Use your indicator to signal a right turn*. Stop to the side of the front car (the car you are parking behind), so that the cars are about even and about an arm’s length apart (20-26”).

2. While looking over your right shoulder, start backing slowly, then start turning the wheel to the right. Aim toward the right rear corner of the space.

3. When your front seat is in line with the rear bumper of the front car, stop and turn the steering wheel one revolution to the left to straighten the tires. Continue backing at this angle until your right front fender just clears the left rear fender of the front car. (At this point, your left rear bumper will be in line with the left front bumper of the back car.)

4. Quickly turn the steering wheel to the left and finish reversing into the parking spot. Looking over your left shoulder during this part of the maneuver may help you align with the rear car – or use your rear view mirror.

5. To straighten out, turn the steering wheel one revolution to the right before pulling forward.

Perfecting your skill is a matter of hand, eye, and foot coordination – and timing. Practice this maneuver repeatedly, slowly, until you are comfortable, then you can add more speed. Use an area that’s not busy, such as a parking lot, or a wide residential street so you won’t have to rush. You can use markers (cones, stanchions, lines) before trying this with real cars.

*These are instruction for parallel parking on the right-hand side of the road. On one-way streets, where left-side parking is possible, just reverse the left and right turns.

Attitude on the roads

A lot lies in the attitude of the drivers also. If everyone can do their bit to make the life of others easy, the roads that we drive on can be made a lot better. Things that can be avoided while you are on the road include:
Overtaking through the left, if the road is not a multiple lane highway
Honking continuously to get yourself going
Breaking a queue - you know for a fact that there is a queue and try to follow the right side (which is relatively empty) and then join the front end of the queue, pushing yourself in. The issue becomes more serious when you do the overtaking job through the left side!
Creating a queue - acts like adjusting your seatbelt, adjusting your music to choose your favourite channel or song, or doing your personal stuff inside your car while you are driving. This can slow you down and create problems to all others on the road
Making a fuss about almost everything - there can be many problems on the road, and if you decide to keep yourself warm/hot about everything, you end you pumping up your on bloood pressure. Be open, nobody makes a mistake purposely. It just happens. Keep yourself calm and cool on the road.

Not worth it !

Headlights - Rules and Ethics

"If you see the high beam indicator (typically blue light) glowing in your instrument panel, while driving at night, you could be violating the law and endangering lives"

One can't help but think, how drivers can blaze their headlights to incoming traffic or use blinding white halogen lamps or use powerful fog lamps in addition to high beam lights during night driving, and that too within the city! The craziness doesn't stop there - there are people who even do the same in heavy rains. Science (and common sense) says: use of high beam during rainy/ foggy conditions will only reflect back the light and make life more difficult for the driver!!

As per studies conducted by the Police, major culprits for night time accidents are the drivers’ reluctance to dim headlights, misuse of high-beams and use of halogen bulbs in headlights. The bottom-line is this: it is a pain (and unsafe) to drive in the night, not just on highways, even in the city!! And the situation only seem to be worsening as days pass..

Section 360 (3) of the Kerala Motor Vehicle Rules bans the use of high beam in well-lit urban areas. The law also specifies that motorists should not use headlight beams that illuminated a distance of more than 7 metres in urban areas. The rule book also bans the use of halogen lamps which has a luminescence above specified limits. As per rules, improper use of high beam can draw a fine of Rs.100.

Despite the rules and numerous campaigns by the police, the situation has not shown any signs of improvement. Awareness seem to be the foremost reason for this - awareness of not just the rule, but also on why and how to use headlights properly. It would be interesting to do a survey on the new drivers to check if they know how to dim their headlights and why they should do so. Audio/ visual media needs to be effectively used to convey the message to the public. The government, media and automotive companies can certainly do that as part of their social responsibility!

The figure below shows how low beam and high beam light is directed. It goes without explanation that high beam strikes incoming traffic right on the face , can temporarily blind the driver, and can thus lead to fatal accidents. High beams are to be used while driving on ill lit roads, especially highways, where the vehicle moves at higher speeds and there is no incoming traffic.

Even though the figure shows a car, the rules are applicable to trucks as well as two-wheelers. New generation two wheelers have powerful headlights and can be as lethal as that of a bus or truck.

To keep things simple, here are some basic rules and ethics that need to followed while using headlights:

Rules

1. Do not use high beam in the city
2. Dim headlights for incoming traffic
3. Use only standard OEM headlights

Ethics (for simple, safe and sane driving)

1. Dip headlights when an approaching vehicle is within 200 meters or when the other vehicle’s head lights dip, whichever is sooner
   
2. Dip headlights when driving 200 meters or less behind another vehicle
   
3. Do not use fog lamps (or anything more than dim lights) for normal weather conditions

Tail piece:

Despite there being NO rule, there is one signal (even though it is completely wrong!) religiously followed by many motorists. The use of hazard lamps for driving straight!!

Welcome Back

Welcome.

This continues to be a forum for simple, safe, and sane behaviour on our roads. Be it as a motorist or as a pedestrian. Be it as a parent or as a friend. Be it as a neighbour or as an onlooker. Let's take responsibility.

Civil behaviour need not always spring up from education. Nor from our designations. The refrain that the fault lies elsewhere is under duress. Sometimes we are not right. Being on the wrong side isn't anyone's fault. It's simply a lack of awareness. Let's start. Let's learn, share together.

You and I can make a difference. Welcome Back.