What is more important - safe cars or safe driving?

The driver of the car, not only is responsible for his/her own safety but of the car occupants and the oncoming traffic car passengers too. Driving a safe car isn't enough until the driver himself/ herself doesn't understand the importance of driving safe

BHPian autoliebe recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

We often see people around talking about Safety Rating of a Car, its crash rating, B-NCAP, E-NCAP etc. I seldom see anyone talking about driving a car safely. An irresponsibly driven car despite being the safest one is no good than a 0-Star crash-rated car.

The driver of the car, not only is responsible for his/her own safety but of the car occupants and the oncoming traffic car passengers too. Driving a safe car isn't enough until the driver himself/ herself doesn't understand the importance of driving safe.

Following should always be in the mind of a driver. ALWAYS.

1. Do not drink (read in an inebriated state) and then drive a car. PERIOD. Stop fooling yourself saying you can manage alcohol and take pride in saying/doing so. It's science, Alcohol reduces and slows down mind's response and decision making - which is critical while driving a car.
2. Speed thrills but kills. Adventure sport can give you thrills. No point trying that with a car having family/friends in it on a road where other people / families are driving. There's nothing worst than having a guilt of killing someone without their any mistake on the road. Adhere to safe speed limits on highways (80-100 Kmph) even if your car can go 200 Kmph. Your car can crash and get repaired but you and your family's lives can't. Always remember that.
3. Don't compete on roads. A road is not a race track. It is a means to go from point A to point B, nothing more. If you need, compete in life building a business, helping someone or something good.
4. Plan your travel and schedule it well in time. There's no point leaving late for a place and then hurrying up on the road. Either start early and drive safe or if you have got late, be ready for the consequences (be it office or any party) rather than hurrying up on the road to make up the delay. You can always bear a boss's scolding rather than be on a hospital bed. Keep this in mind always.
5. Never ever let your kids get behind the wheel. Driving (especially in our country) is not merely Accelerator, Brake & Clutch but also careful observation and split-second decision making on the roads. Trust me, a kid cannot take such decision on the road. And if allowed, you've given an AK47 to a kid who can shoot it on innocent people without even understanding the implications of that. Ideally, after they getting their driving license, let them drive in your supervision and only then let them drive alone once you feel they can. Remember lives are more important than letting the kid driving a vehicle. He/She can drive after a year or two, but the life of innocent people in case of accident can never come back.
6. Drive responsibly in front of your kids. They tend to learn whatever they see in their sub-conscious mind and do the same when they drive. This applies to other walks of life as well in addition to driving. Ensure you are responsible enough in front of them (and otherwise too, ideally).

Parting with a picture of a car in today's TOI edition of Bangalore. The car was toppled, all occupants safe because the car could be of good build quality (or merely the family was lucky). But remember, after an accidental mistake, your car can be scrapped, but your lives are too expensive to be done so.

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