1. Avoiding Certain Shoes
Your brand new pair of Jimmy Choos or Gucci loafers might look fantastic but certain footwear is just not suitable for driving in. Even something as simple as changing gears could cause a serious accident in the wrong type of shoes. The sole of the foot can become trapped underneath the pedal whilst raising your foot to change gear. Wearing mules, flip-flops and other shoes without adequate ankle support can lead to the foot slipping off the pedal or missing the pedal altogether. High heels are not advised for similar reasons. These dangers can cause accidents if you don’t have enough time to recover the situation. A 2005 survey conducted by Norwich Union Motor Insurance in the UK found that flip-flops are the most dangerous item of driving footwear. Of the 1000 motorists questioned, three-quarters said that they found it challenging to drive in flip-flops, yet a quarter admitted to regularly driving in them.
2. Taking Medicines
Many people in the UK have to take over-the-counter remedies and prescription medication for a number of ailments – ranging from the serious to the not-so serious. And the truth is that not many of us would think twice about jumping into the car to pick up a prescription, pop the tablets once we get them and drive off on our merry way. But maybe we should as driving safety can often be compromised if you are on prescription medication and the UK police law on driving while on prescribed medication is strictly adhered to.
3. Driving When tired
Driving to work while still half asleep is something that lots of us do every single morning, and many motorists will admit to driving when we think we might actually be too tired to do so safely. Most people don’t see it as a big issue and do it without a second thought, yet driving while tired is a serious problem that results in thousands of motoring accidents every single year.
To drive a car you need to be alert, aware of what’s going on around you, and able to concentrate on what you are doing. If you are overly tired then you are unlikely to be able to drive to a standard necessary to keep yourself, pedestrians and other road users safe.
Why is it so Dangerous?
Fatigue reduces your reaction times and makes you far less able to do things that would usually come easily to you and despite how quickly you think you can react, it’s probably nowhere near the reality. Not to mention that if you choose to ignore the obvious risks of driving tired, then you could end up falling asleep at the wheel, which could leave you seriously injured or even killed. Of course you might escape injury yourself and kill another road user, leaving you facing criminal charges and a lifetime of ‘what if’s’.
