Safety with motor vehicle

Every year there are more drivers and more cars on the road. The number of accidents keeps rising, even though automobiles and roads are now built to be safer than ever before.

Most accidents are the result of careless driving. Speeding is dangerous, but slow drivers also are a hazard. They cause traffic jams and irritate drivers behind them. Even a good driver, when irritated, may take a foolish chance to get past the slow driver. Accidents are caused also by drivers who fail to signal for a turn or who speed through crossings. Drivers who cut recklessly in and out of traffic cause many serious accidents. And many drivers who forget to watch the road are unpleasantly surprised when they run into something or somebody.

Unsafe vehicles are another cause of accidents. Automotive engineers have made many improvements to make today's cars safe. Tires have been improved so that blowouts are rare. Brakes are more effective. Seat belts, installed in many cars, have saved thousands of lives. But the owner of a vehicle must make sure his car is in safe working order before he uses it. In many places automobiles must pass a safety inspection before they are licensed for use on public highways.

To help control the accident rate, many high schools offer driver education classes. Drivers trained in these courses have far fewer accidents than drivers taught by friends and relatives.

There are many safe-driving rules, and many have become traffic laws. Accidents have been reduced where these laws are strictly enforced.

See also : Global road accident fatalities | Driving rules you should know