The movement of people out of the big cities has started for Malaysians as the long week of Chinese New Year celebrations arrives. With every festive season break for as long as we can remember there have been hundreds of mishaps on the roads and highways and even more alarming, the dozens of serious accidents. As more drivers arrive every year and more cars get sold, the hazards increase. We want to share, what we think will be 11 tips to avoid a mishap or accident this coming week long break and hope that you reading this will share it with your friends and family.
- Let’s start with the most obvious. The hand phone. If you are travelling with family and or friends, please let them hold on to your phone while you drive. If you are driving alone, then put your phone on silent and keep it in the dashboard and only take it out when you make a toilet or cigarette break. Do not be distracted.
- Please make sure you check the tyre pressure of all 4 tyres, and if you have a spare tyre, then check the spare tyre and your tool kit in the boot.
- Please check your brake fluid…..very often forgotten.
- Please check your engine oil level.
- Please check the water/coolant in your radiator and carry a spare bottle of water (in your boot) in case you need to top up as the weather is hot and you will be sitting in traffic along the highways.
- Try and NOT eat a heavy meal before driving and just keeping sipping water. A heavy meal will make you sleepy in this hot weather and sipping water will prevent you from wanting to keep going to the bathroom.
- Be patient when in traffic. The other driver who did not get a chance to read this will be doing all the wrong things.
- Sleep early the night before the drive to be ‘super’ alert on the drive as you might be sitting in traffic for hours. Sleeping late and using coffee the next day to keep you awake will not work as a good nights sleep.
- Please do not drink any alcoholic drinks and no recreational drugs.
- Please make sure all your passengers, even the one sitting in the back are wearing a seatbelt. You never know what can happen on the highway.
- Please think before you pack your car with unnecessary loose items as when you brake hard, these loose items will ‘fly’ around the cabin and can be a distraction which will have your eyeballs away from the road in front.
Remember, it just takes a 2-5 seconds of distraction to have an accident that will ruin your holiday and your Chinese New Year celebrations.
Drive Safe & Be Safe.
