ROAD safety professionals have urged people observing Lent to give up one more thing in the lead up to Easter – bad driving.
Limestone Coast road safety officer Rob Forgan said while people tend to give up bad habits they enjoy, such as over indulging in chocolate, alcohol or coffee, the next six weeks during Lent could be an opportunity to kick bad habits off the road forever.
“It presents a great opportunity for road users to change their road behaviour and make these changes part of their lives,” Mr Forgan said.
“A potential life saver that could also reduce injuries on our roads.”
Mr Forgan suggested a number of bad driving habits for road users to “give up”, including speeding, driving tired and tailgating.
“Speed was a factor in 24pc of fatal crashes in South Australia last year and it pays to always be aware of speed limits and keep to them,” he said.
“Phoning while driving is not only wrong, it is illegal to use a hand held mobile while driving, even when stopped at an intersection.
“Tailgating is another bad habit – you should always leave a two-second gap between you and the vehicle in front.”
He added driving tired put everyone else on the road at risk.
“Rest every two hours on long trips and try to avoid long trips between midnight and 6am when your natural reactions are likely to be slower,” he said.
“Driving without your seatbelt is a bad habit – take time to make sure you and everyone in the car buckles up.
“Road rage is best avoided – be patient and calm down and set a good example for your kids.
“Letting someone in or saying thank you is unlikely to cause you any extra hassle and might even make you feel good.”
He added an important bad driving habit to kick off the roads was drink driving.
“Many residents associate Easter with crosses and when we drive through the Limestone Coast we see too many crosses on the side of the road where people have lost their lives,” Mr Forgan said.
“In the lead up to Easter and the Easter holiday weekend, when many Australians have come to grief, this is an opportunity to be giving up those bad habits on our roads.”
