The SAS Survival Driver’s Handbook. John Wiseman

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СКАЧАТЬ folding rear seats, as the structure is not strong enough to restrain the load in a crash. There have been cases of children carried in the rear seat being paralysed by support struts being driven into their spines by the force of the load shifting forward. If you don’t have tie-downs, use a load separator to prevent objects shifting forward. Alternatively, carry suitcases and other large items secured to a roof rack. (See Loading the Car and Towing in Long Journeys for further advice on carrying heavy loads, fitting roof racks, and towing trailers and caravans.)

      It will assist the car’s stability if you spread your load evenly — and that includes passengers. Don’t have all the heaviest passengers on one side of the car, or all in the back. Too much weight in the rear causes light steering, and if one side is carrying a much heavier load than the other you could have problems when cornering.

      Never allow passengers to travel in the luggage area or on a folded down rear seat.

      Inside the passenger compartment, keep things stowed away securely. Avoid having sharp or solid objects like glass bottles or hard-edged toys in the car, as these can cause serious injuries if the brakes are applied sharply. Keep the parcel shelf clear of packages to eliminate the risk of flying objects and to ensure good rear vision. Clear the driver’s footwell of loose objects, too, as these can easily get under the pedals and cause an accident.

      If you need to hang suits or dresses in the car, use the hooks provided, and make sure they do not swing around or interfere with rear vision.

Safe Driver

       Car manufacturers are making safer cars than ever before, and yet the number of accidents continues to rise. It’s possible that improvements in technology actually make matters worse. Some motorists seem to think that because their vehicle is equipped with anti-locking brakes and airbags it gives them the freedom to go even faster without getting hurt. But even the best technology cannot save you from the consequences of taking stupid risks.

      So what makes a safe driver? Is it quick reaction time? The ability to handle a high-performance car well at high speed? Skill at the controls? Years of experience? Training in skills such as controlling a skid?

      Ironically, the more skill and accuracy with which you handle the controls, the more confident you are that your speedy reaction times allow you to cope with high speeds, the more you believe that you are a good driver… the greater the statistical chance of your being involved in an accident. The reality is that few drivers are anywhere near as good as they think they are.

      The key to being a safe driver is to remember the four As:

      ALERTNESS

      AWARENESS

      ATTITUDE

      ANTICIPATION

Alertness

      About a third of all accidents are rear-end shunts, where one vehicle collides with the back of another. This is a classic example of what happens when a motorist is not paying sufficient attention. Being alert means being on the look out for hazards, anticipating problems before they occur and responding quickly. It is an offence to drive without due care and attention, or to drive while under the influence of substances which are likely to impair your ability to perceive risks and take action to avoid them.

      A number of factors can interfere with your ability to remain alert, among them: drink and drugs, medical conditions (such as hay fever and sight disorders), stress, fatigue, and allowing yourself to be distracted by things going on inside the car.

       Careless driving is punishable by law. While the vehicle is moving, it is illegal to use a hand-held telephone, read a newspaper or map, tune a car radio or change a CD or cassette — or anything else that causes the driver not to be in a position to respond in the event of an emergency.

      In Britain, careless driving can lead to fines, disqualification or endorsement of your licence. The police can prosecute for careless driving even if there has not been an accident. It’s no use pleading that you were careless because you were tired-the law takes a dim view of motorists who drive when they’re not fit to do so.

ALCOHOL

      Around 20 per cent of all road traffic deaths are drink-related. Alcohol is a powerful drug which slows down the processes occurring in the brain, so that you take longer to react to unexpected situations. It inspires a false sense of confidence, affects your judgement of speed, distance and risk, and reduces your co-ordination — turning avoidable hazards into potentially lethal ones.

      Just one drink will impair your driving to some extent. And because the effects can be quite subtle to begin with, you may feel as though you’re perfectly sober. It’s almost impossible to calculate with any accuracy how much you can drink and be safe to drive, because everyone absorbs alcohol at a different rate, depending on sex, weight, metabolism, age, the type of drink consumed, and how much you’ve had to eat. Some people can be seriously affected even though they’re well below the legal limit.

      And don’t let anyone tell you that you’ll be all right if you stick to beer or cider rather than spirits. The amount of alcohol in half a pint of beer is roughly equivalent to the alcohol content of a glass of wine or a pub measure of spirits — more, if you’re drinking extra-strength beer or cider. Even alcoholic sodas, which look and taste like soft drinks, can push you over the limit; at 4.2–5.5 per cent proof, they contain as much alcohol as many lagers.

      Once you have alcohol in your bloodstream it takes time for the liver to break it down. The average person’s liver can only cope with one unit (that’s about half a pint of beer or a glass of wine) per hour. You can drink all the black coffee you like, swim or exercise, take vitamins or hangover cures — it won’t reduce the level of alcohol in your system. So if you’ve been out for an evening’s drinking, it may be that the following morning, or even lunchtime the next day, will still find you over the limit. Police in some countries set up checkpoints to breathalyse drivers on their way to work and catch out the drinkers. Unless you have your own personal breathalyser kit, there’s no way of telling for sure whether you will pass the test. So take public transport the next day and get a good night’s sleep before driving again.

       Legal limits for the amount of alcohol allowed in your bloodstream vary, depending on which country you’re driving in. In Britain it is 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. The amount of drink required to reach this level varies from person to person.

      The police have the right to demand a breath test even if you have not committed any traffic offence or been involved in an accident. All the law requires is that they have ‘reasonable suspicion’ that you may have been drinking.

      The penalties for driving over the legal limit are severe. You risk being disqualified from driving, fined or imprisoned (if you kill or injure someone as a result of driving under the influence, the fine or prison sentence increases to match the seriousness of the offence).

      When planning to drive abroad, check out the motoring regulations СКАЧАТЬ