If the corona pandemic has taught us anything, it is that individual actions can have a huge impact in helping to keep others safe. We are constantly reminded that it is the small things that will see us through, like staying at home to help stop the spread of the infection. Some of the advice speaks to things we should already be doing: washing our hands, coughing into a tissue or a sleeve. Another, perhaps unexpected, thing to add to that list: driving safely.
Hopefully everyone reading this drives safely all the time. If you don’t, now is a good time to start, and if you do, taking extra precaution during the pandemic can help save lives. In an article for Forbes, Tanya Mohn argues that increased vigilance behind the wheel is essential in that it could help lead to less traffic collisions requiring medical assistance and therefore less strain on hospitals during this difficult time.
She’s not alone in stressing the need for increased safety on the roads during this crisis:
“[The Global Alliance] and other global and national safety groups are urging the public to be extra cautious at a time when medical systems are stretched beyond capacity in many countries… Limiting crashes that result in hospitalizations can free up medical staff, supplies and beds in intensive care units and improve ambulance response time.”
At the same time that safety groups are urging people to be extra cautious when behind the wheel, due to the current crisis many safe driving initiatives, such as those conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administation (NHTSA) in the US, are being put on hold.
Safety campaigns are helpful in reminding the public of the importance of safe driving, but all of us who drive know how to drive safely, even if some don't act according to this knowledge. As things slow down around the world, hopefully some of those pressures which cause drivers to behave unsafely (traffic, being in a rush) will help things run smoother.
The ways in which we can drive safer are small and simple, but as with many small and simple actions during this time, they are absolutely vital. Buckle up, slow down, signal properly, don't get distracted.
To read the original article by Tanya Mohn in Forbes, click here.
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