Near Misses On The Road
Dangers lie around every bend and every blind spot on our roads, so taking as much care as possible to make sure near misses don’t turn into accidents and statistics is essential.
Latest road traffic fatality statistics found that over a thousand road users were killed last year. In most cases, accidents are easily avoided if the highway code is adhered to and drivers pay attention at all times.
NMT Garage Services have provided a short highway code refresher to help prevent near misses and help protect drivers at all times.
Overtaking
Impatience on the roads is one of the main causes for traffic accidents, so take your time on the roads and plan your journeys so you don’t find yourself in a rush and attempting dodgy overtakes.
If you are to move past someone, however, make sure the conditions are suitable. Make sure you have a clear line of sight when overtaking another car; don’t overtake on a blind bend or on the crest of a hill. Assess the space and make sure there are no cars in the distance so you have a clear path. Follow the road markings, too. It is illegal to overtake on a solid white line, so don’t think you can nip quickly past someone; they’re there for a reason. It is also worth noting that it is illegal to undertake as well, so don’t jump out in front of someone from their blind spot.
Signs are not suggestions, they are rules. Particularly for speed limits, they are designed to keep you safe and not to slow you down when you’re in a hurry. The latest figures for speeding related injuries clocked in at over 22,000 for the year, so they are there for a reason.
It is also important to follow the instructions clearly. A stop sign means stop; you need to check that the roads are clear before you pull out. If you push your luck and creep out before the roads are clear, it is going to result in near misses at the very least.
Other things to be aware of at the wheel are things like tiredness, adverse weather conditions and the state of your car. If you are unsure about something, air on the side of caution and don’t take any risks.
You may also wish to invest in a dash cam to cover your own back should anything happen. Vehicle cameras are used for a whole host of activities nowadays, from helping us park to providing evidence during a collision dispute, as well as showcasing a wide variety of road-related near misses.
Click the button for a video of some shocking near-misses.
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