A majority of injuries happen due to not following road safety rules. These rules are made to ensure the safety of passengers, pedestrians, and drivers. Traffic guidelines, and rules should be diligently followed to prevent serious injuries, and accidents.
Road safety rules inform people how to act in the right way on road. It tells about what to do and what not to do when on the road. These rules help in organizing vehicles, and traffic in an order. Let us understand more about road safety rules, and why you should follow them.
Important Road Safety Rules
Following are the simplest and commonly used road safety rules that every person should know and follow on the road.
Learn About The Meaning Of Signals: Traffic signal is an important road safety rule that tells when should you stop, or move your vehicle. It also tells the pedestrians to either wait, or walk on the road. Color of the traffic light will tell you the necessary action that you should take.
- Green color indicates to move your vehicle.
- Red color indicates to stop your vehicle.
- Yellow indicates to slow down the vehicle speed
There is also a “walking man” symbol at intersections. This signal is mainly for pedestrians. It tells them to cross the road only when it turns green.
Stop, Look, And Cross: Before you cross the road, it is important to stop and look at your right, and left side to prevent getting hit by any vehicle coming from behind, or sideways. Always look for the pedestrian signal / “walking man” symbol before you cross the road.
Some of the safety instructions that you should keep in mind while walking on the road:
- Look to your left, and your right to ensure that there are no approaching vehicles.
- If any vehicle is coming to you, and wait for it to pass.
- Never cross the road at bends.
- Adults should accompany children who are below six years of age.
Be attentive on the road: When you are on the road, it is important not to talk or listening music. It can be distracting, and can even lead to accidents. You may not be able to hear the sound of the horn or engine near you.
So, keep your eyes, and ears open when you are walking, driving, or riding as a passenger in a vehicle. Another road safety instruction is not to use your phone while driving. This is because talking over the phone, checking messages etc. can all distract drivers and can invite risks.
Always wear a helmet: Not just the person who drives the vehicle, but also the one who sits behind should wear a helmet for the protection against any injury. You can even be penalized if you fail to follow this rule.
Never run on roads: Another important road safety instruction is not to run on roads. It is generally seen in children who lack patience and feel the urge to run and get to the other end of the street. Children should be taught to stay calm. Sometimes, their sudden act of running to cross the road can confuse the driver, and it can even cause an accident. Teach your children how to remain patient and be with their parents / guardians while walking on the road.
Use Sidewalks: Sidewalks is safe for pedestrians. Due to absence of vehicles, there is no risk related to getting injured by a vehicle.
Never put your hand outside the window: Children are seen to put hands outside the window of car, buses etc. It can prove to be fatal. They may get hit by any tree, or fast approaching vehicle, and it can even lead to fracture. If it is urgent to take your hand outside the vehicle, then first look back to ensure that there are no risks.
Do not cross the road at turns: Bends, or turns are mostly overlooked by drivers. When you cross the road at a bend, the vehicle driver doesn’t get adequate time to spot your vehicle. It can lead to accidents.
Maintaining safe distance with other vehicles: To prevent collision with the vehicle in front of you, it is advised to stop 2-3 feet before the vehicle that is ahead of you.
Always give indications when taking a turn: Whenever you are taking a left turn, or a right turn, it is necessary to give an indication with the indicator light, so that the vehicle that is behind you gets notified.
Don’t drink and drive: Drinking and driving is a punishable offense. When you drink, you are not aware of your surroundings, and yourself. This condition should be avoided as it can lead to accidents.
Also read: Importance of transportation
Conclusion
One should be aware of the fact that road traffic injuries is commonly seen when people do not follow road safety rules. Being responsible on road, and strictly following the road rules every single time will save not just your life, but also of other’s by preventing injuries, and accidents.