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Myth or Fact of vehicles & driving

March 1, 2008 by Accident Specialist Leave a Comment

Myth: It takes too much time to fasten your seatbelts 20 times a day
Fact: Buckling up takes about 3 seconds, even buckling up 20 times a day requires only 1
minute.
Myth: Safety belts aren’t necessary for low speed driving
Fact: In a frontal collision occurring at around 48 km/h, an unbelted person continues to move
forward at approximately 48km/h causing him/her to hit the windshield at about 48 km/h. This is
approximately the same velocity as a person falling from the top of a 3 story building would
experience upon impact with the ground.
Myth: Safety belts prevent your escaping from a burning or submerged vehicle
Fact: Safety belts can keep you from being knocked unconscious, thus improving your chance of
escape. Fire or submersion has been proven to be a small percentage of crashes

Myth: Wearing a seatbelt is a personal decision and does not effect any one else
Fact: Wearing a safety belt can certainly affect your family and loved ones. It can also effect
other motorist since wearing a safety belt can help you avoid losing control of your vehicle and
therefore avoid a crash. It is also the law.

Myth: Most accidents are caused by some sort of mechanical failure
Fact: Most accidents are caused by human error

Myth: Alcohol is a stimulant
Fact: Alcohol is a depressant, it acts on the central nervous system like an anaesthetic to lower or
depress the activity of the brain.

Myth: “Drinking coffee sobers me up.”
Fact: Coffee cannot rid your system of alcohol; it just makes you a nervous, wide-awake drunk.
Only time reverses the impairment.

Myth: “I always stay away from the hard stuff.”
Fact: Alcohol is alcohol; one 350ml glass of beer has about as much alcohol as approx. 45ml
shot of whiskey or a 145ml glass of wine.

Myth: “I am bigger so I can handle my liquor better than other people.”
Fact: Size is only one factor in how much you can drink. Metabolism, amount of rest and food
intake all play a part in how you handle liquor. Impairment in motor reflexes and judgment can
begin with the first drink.

Myth: “Once I roll down my car window, I am okay to drive.”
Fact: No amount of fresh, chilly air can reverse impairment. You gain nothing by rolling down a
window or turning on the air conditioner.

Myth: “I just drive slower after drinking.”
Fact: Many people believe that by driving more slowly, they can compensate for being impaired.
The truth is, drunk drivers are dangerous at any speed.

Myth: “All I have to do is splash my face with cold water.”
Fact: Cold water or even a cold shower will not sober you up or make you a safer driver.

Myth: Idling my vehicle for just a few minutes a day can does not waste fuel and pollute.
Fact: If every driver of a light-duty vehicle avoided idling for just five minutes per day, we
would save 1.6 million litres of fuel worth more than a few million Rand Fact: Service delivery
vehicles spend 20-60% of their time idling, which costs fleet owners a lot of money and gets
them nowhere. Fact: Stopping unnecessary vehicle idling is one relatively easy way to contribute
to improved air quality and respiratory health in our communities.

Myth: Idling is good for your engine.
Fact: Excessive idling can actually damage your engine components, including cylinders, spark
plugs and exhaust systems.

Myth: “Speed does not kill”

Fact: For urban roads, research in Australia has demonstrated that the risk of involvement in a
casualty crash increases exponentially. This means that with each 5 km/h increase in travelling
speed above a 60 km/h speed limit, the risk of involvement in a casualty crash approximately
doubles.
Safe driving:

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