Welcome to the fifth month,if you are a new reader; I have been discussing unsafe driving behaviours, I started the second behaviour in April, you haven’t missed a lot. It is a global phenomenon that human factor is central to the cause of crashes on the road; most of the time, it is not lack of skill but right behaviour requires for safe driving.

I mentioned last month that the reason we have turn indicators on our vehicle, directional signs, signs prohibiting turning or giving a right of way on the road shows how critical this subject is to safe driving and seamless traffic management; starting from the use of indicators in our vehicle to communicate turn, changing of lanes to interacting with the traffic environment.

Firstly, considering a motorist making a turn such that vehicle is on a wrong lane facing oncoming traffic; such behavior could be associated to inappropriate speed for that turn and skill deficiency, most especially when it is a blind turn (not having a good view of where you are turning into); you place other road user into panic and force them to make unsafe lane change or sudden braking.  Exceptional cases is with long vehicle as they require sufficient room to manoeuvre when making a turn, however, such must be done with utmost regard for other road users.

Secondly, making turn from a wrong lane; a driver wanting to make a right turn from an overtaking lane could have resulted from his in attention (distraction) or unfamiliar with the route. This behaviour is one of the major causes of grid lock and itfrustrates traffic management, this is frequently witnessed at unmanned junctions, roundabouts and intersections.

Also, there are instances of motorist turning where it is clearly prohibited; mostly abuse of such is “No U-turn”, it could mean that such individual does not understand traffic signs and, or consequence of his disobedience. How do you feel when a vehicle in front of you suddenly brakes to make such a manoeuvre with a heavy moving traffic on yourright lane and a heavy truck right behind you?

It is even more dangerous when motorist does not indicate intention to turn where prohibited, though it does not make the turning legal, but would have helped other road user to safely slow down or change lane; sometimes, turn signal is activated but not indicating, this still bothers on nonchalant attitude, unaware of danger and in attention on the part of the motorist.

Finally, what do you think of an individual who left his indicator “ON” after making a turn or turn ON a wrong indicator for a different turn on the highway? Consequences of these actions are better imagined but they are common practice on the road.Who will continually bear the burden of these repeated inattention, nonchalant attitude, distraction anddisobedience of basic rules and regulations? The motoring public! The solution to this menace is awareness, enforcement and training but for you that know; keep doing the right thing and encourage others to do same, till June do have a safe drive!