Good Motoring
Be prepared
H. Kishie Singh

Defensive driving demands the drivers complete attention at all times, total alertness and observation of road conditions. Cell phone use, smoking and even fiddling around with the music system, will divert your attention. This spells danger especially on our roads where there are nearly more than a 100 types of road users and conditions change by the half second.

You must learn to read the road. Example: If a cyclist looks over his right shoulder, he is going to turn right. Don’t you be surprised if he cuts across your path.

There is much to be learnt about a driver by observing how he sits in the car at the wheel. If he sits upright, both hands on the steering wheel. He is alert and is a better driver than one slouched in the seat, steering wheel touching his chest, working a toothpick. It is about as distracting as a cigarette or cell phone. ORVM closed. These are all indications of a driver with poor driving habits. Watch out. 

Another indication of a poor driver is the way his car interior is kept. Chocolate wrappers, potato chips on the seats and floors, empty bottles and cans rolling about. May be some files from the office. It reveals a disorganised person. A closer inspection will show his spare wheels are under inflated. 

He may not even know where the jack and allied tools reside. He is a problem on wheels. 

Besides a first-aid kit and a rope, it is a good idea to keep a Swiss army knife in the car

A spotless clean interior, a paint work polished to a high gloss are marks of a good driver. He loves his car. He will be a careful driver, afraid of putting a scratch on it. The exterior can tell a whole story also. An unwashed car, dirty windscreen and bird droppings on the paint work are indicators of a non-caring driver. If he does not care about himself, he has scant regard for others. A few scratches he puts on won’t bother him. In all probability, his car is already scratched and dented.

Manufacturers have taken cognizance of the fact that people have a tendency to be disorganised and have provided a number of cubby holes, receptables for your eye wear, map pockets in the doors, cup holders in addition to the glove box.

If you have to carry items in your car, here is a list of suggested things that are useful. “Be prepared” as the Boy Scouts say. One of the most useful items in the world is a Swiss Army knife made by Victorinox. The knife is a work of art and practicality. Victorinox also make the Rescue Tool. It has a glass cutter, a seat belt cutter, in addition to the other usual blades, plus a saw. An ideal companion to have in your glove box. 

A first aid kit is a must. Bandaid, bandages, anti-septic cream for cuts, wounds, burns, absorbent gauze, sterilised dressing, a cream to deal with bee stings, insect bites and stinging nettles (bichoo booti). Hand sanitiser lotion, in case you have to dress a wound or clean your hands after first aid.

A rope is a very useful item to have in the car. Your car may need a pull or you may need to play the Good Samaritan and pull another stranded motorist. It will come in very handy if you have to pull out some naughty child who has tumbled into a khud (hole).

If you are stranded on some remote road and need to attract attention, a small mirror is a great help. Rescue searchers may not be able to locate you but if you can reflect the sun from the mirror, it can be seen for kilometres away. Rescue squads look for these tell tale signs. In case, you have to spend a night in the car and the heater does not work, a candle will warm up the interior, enough to keep you comfortable. Exercise extreme caution as to where you place the candle. Clean tissue paper comes in small neat packages. Keep a couple in the glove box.

For some reason, people put a whole box of tissue on the dash board. It makes the whole car ugly. Chances are it was bought at a red light. The bush telegraph says it is made in the jhuggi colonies from sanitary and surgical waste collected from hospitals. Unhygienic and filthy.

In winters, carry a warm jacket or sweater at all times. You never know when the clouds will roll in. In case you go for a day’s drive to the hills, carry a blanket. It is good to bundle the children or spread across the knees, windows open and a cool wind on your face, it is a great feeling. It is not recommended to carry baseball bats, hockey sticks, knives or steel rods in the car! Happy Motoring

The exterior of the car can tell the whole story. An unwashed car, dirty windscreen and bird droppings on the car indicate a non-caring driver. If he does not care about himself, he has scant regard for others. A few scratches on the car won’t bother him.