With plenty of experience behind the wheel, Nextbase Ambassador and Supercar driver David Reynolds is urging Australian drivers to stay safe and be prepared for their holiday season drives.
“A road trip is an awesome way to enjoy the summer with your loved ones, I know my family and I adore them. Key to a great road trip is in the preparation to ensure we travel safely, for both us and other road users”, David Reynolds said.
This follows Nextbase research revealed one in ten Australians reported being involved in a car accident in the past 12 months.
1. Plan your journey
Plan your route ahead of leaving, as there is nothing worse than stressing about which turnoff you need to take. Using a navigation device can significantly help with making the journey smoother and relaxing as it should be. According to Nextbase Research, 19 percent of Australian drivers will spend more than eight hours in the car to visit family and friends around Christmas. Driver’s fatigue is very real, so try to curb this by scheduling regular breaks into your journey and overnight stays as necessary, especially if you are travelling solo. If you’re with a companion or several, take turns driving.
2. Drive sober
Concerningly, 23 percent of Australians are willing to consume alcohol prior to driving around Christmas. Instead, it’s best to be part of the 74 percent of Australian drivers who will not drink if they are driving this Christmas season. David Reynolds said “Driving under the influencer is never a good idea, and it’s even harder to not be tempted when you’re spending time among people who are drinking. The best way to keep safe if you’re driving especially around Christmas is to not drink and have a support system to keep to that commitment.”
To prepare against the unexpected, make sure your car is serviced before you hit the road - that includes checking your tyre pressure, giving it a wash, and everything works as it should. Should anything happen to you when travelling, make sure you have a Dash Cam installed to capture the vision. This is the best way to protect your version of events on the road. Nextbase’s leading Emergency SOS feature will alert emergency services in the event of an accident. When triggered, the Nextbase app will ask if you are alright, failure to respond will see emergency services contacted and the GPS location, heading and time shared. If emergency services cannot contact you, then they will be dispatched to your location. Two thirds of Australians think having a Dash Cam decreases the likelihood of dangerous or reckless driving. Plus, 67 percent of Australians responded they would feel more comfortable with a Dash Cam recording in their cars. Having this powerful and compact piece of technology can make a world of difference in keeping insured and safe on your journey. “You may be going on isolated roads with few other vehicles around. A Dash Cam is a great witness to have, showing what happened when something does go wrong. Along with the EmergencySOS feature in Nextbase Dash Cams, they are great reasons to ensure you have a Dash Cam installed when you travel,” said Reynolds.
3. Make sure your car is serviced and has the best tech
4. Get a good night’s sleep before travelling
A study completed by Monash University estimated that one Australian dies every day after falling asleep at the wheel with drowsy driving estimated to contribute to 20 percent of Australia car accidents annually. The Monash University study also found that driving while tired is also linked to 72,000 car accidents annually. Being awake for 17 hours has a similar effect on performance as having a blood alcohol content of 0.05. With these alarming stats in mind, Nextbase found 16 percent of Australian drivers admit to having fallen asleep when behind the wheel. Alarmingly, 22 percent of male drivers acknowledge they have fallen asleep when driving. “You can’t let yourself get drowsy behind the wheel, it is just too dangerous for you and whoever you’re travelling with - as evidenced by these statistics. Make sure you’re not letting yourself drive for too long at a time and get enough sleep too. I like to cap my driving stints to about three hours max,” said Reynolds.
No comments:
Post a Comment