CHECK THOSE EYEBALLS

WRECK-LESS DRIVING ©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

CHECK THOSE EYEBALLS
SLEEPY EYE, MN.: Heintz D. e-mailed this, "every time I go to the eye doctor I am amazed at how much better I see with a new prescription. I had no idea that my sight had deteriorated so much." After about age 45 most people need glasses or contacts to see well enough to drive safely. Between 85% and 95% of all sensing cues are received by the eye s. Poor eyesight means poor driving.

Over the years our ability to utilize the light around us lessens and we need brighter light to see as well. as before. Our brightness requirement doubles about every 13 years. At age 45 a driver requires 4 times the brightness that an age 19 driver does to see the same object as well.

As we get older very bright lights, such as nighttime headlights, bother us. With some cataract formation the light scatters or halos producing glare and fogginess. An ophthalmologist can provide relief but perhaps not totally. Therefore we need to be more careful about when and where we drive as we age. Heavily tinted windows are a problem at night, too.

If you take medicines be sure to ask the doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about the possible effect on your sight or other physical abilities needed for safe driving. This is especially important if you have medications from several physicians and each may not know all that you take. Some medicines affect ability to make quick decisions or to react soon enough. Some make patients sleepy.
GHD98 all rights reserved

UNREASONABLE EMOTIONS

WRECK-LESS DRIVING ©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

UNREASONABLE EMOTIONS
BROOKLYN, NY.: "My driving becomes unsafe when I am upset or angry. I want to fix this before I hurt someone", writes Sidney S. Good for you that you recognize a serious problem and seek correction.

Overwhelming emotions, even pleasant ones, can lead to driver inattention. Angry persons may make bad decisions, such as retaliation for a slight from another motorist. Other times the nearest innocent driver could be the only outlet target for our upset that we can find at the moment.

Generally getting older gives us better control of our emotions and the ability to let many offenses go by. But at the same time we could be carrying a lot of hostile baggage saved up over many years. Letting it all hang out while driving is a dangerous idea. It may be our last angry action. If you have severe problems this way you owe it to yourself and loved ones to get professional counseling. There is nothing to be ashamed of here - a lot of prominent persons brag about seeing their "shrink".

Another source of irrational anger for some uptight motorists is being stuck in traffic jams with no escape route. Too often they take it out on other drivers who are also looking for a way out and mean nothing personal in attempting to move along. Let them go - venting anger at them may get more anger flung back at you than you can handle. If this is a picture of you, carry a pleasing cassette tape or CD and play it while you wait. Soft music or a comedian that makes you laugh may save you a lot of grief. Once you are on the move again toss all that anger out the window and give full attention to your safety. Continual anger can make you chronically ill. When angry away from driving use vigorous physical exercise as a relief valve. It works. Try it.
GHD97 all rights reserved

INTERSECTING IS NO FUN

WRECK-LESS DRIVING ©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

INTERSECTING IS NO FUN
PONCA CITY, OK.: Driving in the big city scares Geraldine L. because most of her driving is rural. Especially confusing to her are intersections such as she encounters visiting the grandchildren in Tulsa. The worst are those downtown where so much happens at once that she has difficulty handling the simultaneous messages rushing at her senses.


But sense she must, as well as deciding and then acting on the decision or canceling it as more messages are sensed. Intersection crossings are a frequent place of collisions. Left turns are even worse. This is an excellent site for drivers to determine honestly whether they need to relearn some skills or to just find easier intersections even if somewhat out of the way.


Further, Ms. L. writes that she has difficulty merging into heavy traffic from the Interstate ramp. We all do. This is a difficult decision on when to keep moving and at what speed. Ideally one looks for a break in traffic and accelerates to the speed of the traffic. Easier said then done. Sometimes it is a long wait for the hesitant driver and the reluctance is heightened by some impatient horn blower behind. Also one must be vigilant for the discourteous driver who speeds up or changes lanes to fill an obvious break which s/he knows some driver coming off the ramp intends to occupy.

Our standard reply to find some other route may be bad advice here. Interstates and other controlled access roads are safer than regular roads despite the heavy use and faster speeds. They have lower fatality rates than do the regular roads which have many intersections and no dividing barriers.

Practice your Interstate skills on highways and at times that are less busy. As you learn new driving techniques and feel more confident move up a notch or two until you have conquered the most trying situations. Other suggestions from our readers are most welcome.
GHD96 all rights reserved

RISKY HABITS

WRECK-LESS DRIVING ©
by Gunther Doerfert, Auto Safety Columnist

RISKY HABITS
WAUSAU, WI.: "I always signal and look in the mirrors and turn my head to the rear before changing lanes. Wish those around me would do the same", says Bernard J. An all-too-often mistake of r drivers is failure to turn their head and check in the blind-spot. For some it is trusting to luck or forgotten in the rush to make a move.

For others it is painful to turn the head or shoulder and head. Larger mirrors are a partial answer. Of course, for persons with arthritis or other joint stiffness a physician may suggest medication and specific limbering exercises. Keep in mind that a crash can be even more painful. And be sure to ask whether the medicine will affect your driving ability.

Bernard says, also, that he wears always the safety belts even for short distances near his home. About 50% of traffic deaths could have been only crash injuries if the victims had used the safety belts. Are they truly “victims” when they purposely do not use the mandatory safety devices? Those over age 65 are more likely to be injured or killed than younger persons. Older persons are hurt more severely and heal more slowly.

In a crash there are two collisions .First, with whatever the vehicle strikes and second, the occupants hitting each other and the insides of the vehicle. When a vehicle moving at 30 mph hits an immovable object (a tree) the unbuckled front occupants will hit the dashboard with a several thousand pound force. What might it be like in a two car head-on at 65 mph?
GHD95 all rights reserved