Heels & Horsepower Magazine

10 Common Driving Mistakes South African Motorists Make

We all know that driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a big no-no and as such cannot be categorized as a mistake.

Drunk driving plays a huge factor in road fatalities annually but there are other causes of accidents and fender benders.  Here are just 10 of the most common bad driving practises which can be seen on our roads almost daily.

1. Speeding

Driving at a speed that is unsafe for the current road, weather and lighting conditions can make it difficult, if not impossible to control your vehicle effectively.  Bringing a speeding vehicle to a stop or trying to avoid an obstacle on the road can have fatal consequences as you may lose control completely.  Speed limits are designed to keep drivers safe and it is dangerous to exceed them. Regardless of your environment, aim to drive at a pace which allows you to safely manoeuver your vehicle through curves, down a hill or in the rain.

2. Unsafe Lane Changes

Executing a safe lane change involves quite a few essential steps such as checking your mirrors and blind spot, adjusting your speed, turning on your indicators, finding a safe gap then merging smoothly into the lane.  It is important to remember to look out for cyclists and bikers as these motorists are incredibly vulnerable in an accident.

3. Distracted Driving

Three things are critical for safe driving being: your hands on the wheel, your eyes on the road and your mind on the task at hand.  Driving distracted negates these essentials, putting all road users at risk.  Multi-tasking is not something motorists should attempt to do because of the ever changing environment of the road and general traffic.  Anything can and most likely will happen without notice and you need to be ready to react immediately – something you may not be able to do if you are texting, eating or your eyes are on the radio controls.

4. Not Maintaining A Safe Following Distance

Many motorists drive distracted resulting in their following the vehicle ahead of them too closely.  The best way to ensure you have a safe cushion of space between your car and the one ahead is to wait for the leading vehicle to pass a fixed point on the road, then start counting to three.  Should you pass the same point before reaching the count of three then you are most likely following too closely.  As a general rule of thumb always increase your following distance at night, when driving behind a truck, in bad weather or when driving behind a motorcycle or cyclist.

5. Driving Too Slowly

This may surprise a few but driving too slowly for the current traffic conditions can be dangerous.  Driving too slowly forces other drivers to either slow down or attempt to pass you and the more often cars pass each other, the greater the chances of there being a collision.

6. Failing To Read/Understand Road Signs

Road signs are there to give motorists information relating to the road or traffic conditions.  It is important not to ignore them as you could find yourself driving too fast into a curve or blasting through a stop sign.

7. Drifting Between Lanes

Failure to stay in your lane is a definite way of annoying other motorists or causing an accident.  In many instances drifting between lanes is due to driving distracted but can also be thanks to poorly marked roads or unskilled driving practises.  With the exception of changing lanes always aim to steer your vehicle within your chosen lane.

8. Driving An Unroadworthy Vehicle

Sadly, driving a less than mechanically sound vehicle is common practise on our roads which leads to avoidable road accidents.  Ranging from worn brakes, faulty indicators and tail lights, to cracked windscreens, dim headlights and damaged wiper blades, driving a vehicle which isn’t in tip-top condition puts you and other road users at risk.  When you think about it, the cost of changing certain car parts is far less than the cost of repairs to a car so it’s worth getting your vehicle regularly by a professional.

9. Poor Evasive Skills

Being attentive on the road is a highly underrated driving skill, but one which could save your life.  Should a toddler dash onto the road in front of you, or if a parcel falls off the truck in front you, you need to be ready to take evasive action.  Attentive driving includes being aware of your surroundings and knowing where the open spaces are that you can escape to.

10. Driving While Drowsy

Similar to driving under the influence, there is no excuse for driving while drowsy.  A safe drive includes being alert, attentive and in control of your vehicle, all of which you cannot do if driving while drowsy.  Make sure you get sufficient rest before getting behind the wheel as tiredness can be fatal.

Here’s What Happens To Your Body After A Car Accident

Often what happens in a car accident isn’t immediately seen, felt, or known. If you’ve been in a car accident, you may walk away and think you feel fine, only to have symptoms occur over the next few days.

After a car accident, you are very likely to feel stiff, sore, and bruised. It is very important that, even if you think you came away from a car accident without a scratch, to still see a doctor and get a medical check-up and evaluation.

If symptoms arise later, you will be glad you did because you will already have a physician’s report of your condition immediately following the car accident. Do not ignore any symptoms as the longer you wait to get treatment, the more reduced your chances become of making a complete recovery.

What To Expect Physically After A Car Accident

Some symptoms after a car accident include a headache, shoulder and neck pain, back pain, abdominal pain, bruising or numbness, and emotional distress.

Headaches could possibly be due to a concussion, brain injury, blood clot, or whiplash. Shoulder or neck pain could indicate whiplash or a spinal injury. Back pain could be a sign of a spinal or ligament injury or whiplash. Abdominal pain could indicate possible internal bleeding. Bruising or numbness could be a sign of a spinal injury or herniated disk. Emotional distress could suggest a possible brain injury, concussion, or PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Common car accident injuries include neck and head trauma, brain injuries, broken bones, back and spinal cord trauma, burns, and skin scrapes.  Even when wearing a seat belt, you can get shaken around regardless of the rate of speed of the accident. 

Impacts From A Head-On Collision

This is one of the worst impacts you could suffer. The speed the car would have been traveling at is also the speed at which your body would be traveling at, and that can allow for a severe impact.

After the collision, deceleration drops rapidly from the car’s travelling speed to the car coming to a complete stop. The effect that deceleration has is the consequence of an enormous energy transfer that is felt by your body as well as the car. This transfer of energy is what can result in injuries.

Seatbelts help, of course, and that is why there is a law that seatbelts should always be worn. A seat belt can prevent your head from crashing into the front windshield or the steering wheel. While a seatbelt can most assuredly save your life, injuries can still be suffered.

Common injuries with seatbelt use include a collapsed lung, broken ribs, broken collar bone, and internal injuries. Still, it is far better than not wearing a seatbelt, which could result in death.

Impacts From A Rear-End Collision

A rear-end collision can also carry a tremendous force. In both scenarios, your head is greatly at risk of some type of physical or mental injury. In a rear-end collision, that transfer of energy propels occupants backwards, which can cause your head to jerk or snap violently, resulting in a variety of head and neck injuries. Potential injuries from a rear-end collision include a concussion, a herniated disc, soft tissue injuries, or a compression fracture.

  • Concussion: A concussion occurs when your head takes a direct hit and induces trauma. Symptoms include blurred vision, confusion, dizziness, headaches, or difficulty concentrating.
  • Herniated Disc: A herniated disc can occur when your vertebrae slips out of place and interferes with your spinal cord.
  • Soft Tissue Injuries: Soft tissue injuries are those caused by your head whipping suddenly, back and forth. This motion can cause ligaments, tendons, and muscles to tear.  Whiplash is a soft tissue injury. 
  • Compression Fracture: A compression fracture is serious and can occur in the spine when a bone collapses in it. Numbness in legs and arms is common, along with back pain.

Impacts From A Side Collision

Side impacts from car crashes can cause some of the most dangerous and severe impacts to a body. The energy transfer that is produced from the crash has only a door to help absorb the impact. The chances for a human body to be crushed are much higher in a side impact collision (also known as a T-bone collision). Potential injuries from a side impact crash include:

  • Internal organ damage
  • Broken bones
  • Head injuries from colliding with a window
  • Spinal and neck injuries due to the force with which the head is whipped about
  • Upper body injuries

Psychological Impacts

What happens in a car accident can leave many people in a state of shock. It is a jolt to your entire system. Anxiety and depression are two other impacts that are not uncommon. Some people even develop PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) from being involved in a car accident.

Know what to expect physically after a car accident, as well as mentally. Be aware that you may not feel abnormal right away, but symptoms can show up days later. It is extremely important to notify your doctor and get a complete physical check-up.

Why do modern cars crumple up when they crash?

A car which has been involved in a high impact collision usually resembles a crumpled up piece of paper, making you wonder if you wouldn’t have been safer in a car that had remained more rigid.

Imagine jumping from a significant height and keeping your legs straight when landing? That wouldn’t be very comfortable as there would be nothing to absorb the shock.  If however, you attempted the same jump and landed with your knees slightly bent you’d most likely experience a slightly softer landing. 

The difference between the two jumps would be the bent knees which help absorb impact upon landing.

The same principle applies when you have a car accident. Of course, stepping out of a vehicle that looks much like a crumpled piece of tissue is sure to make you wonder just how safe you are.  Most of us would feel more secure if we believed we had the protection of a rigid, unyielding tank. But, in fact, the opposite is true.

Why Manufacturers Develop Crumple Zones

According to Richard Green, National Director of SAMBRA (South African Motor Body Repairers Association) an association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI), most car manufacturers develop crumple zones on automobiles because they help absorb the shock of an impact. 

Crumple zones also help absorb the force of the impact within the crumple zone, rather than being transferred to the safety cell which envelopes the occupants of the car.

This is a delicate balancing act as Green points out. “On the one hand, a car’s frame has to be strong enough to resist a certain amount of force, but too much resistance may lead to injury for the car’s inhabitants. Getting this balance right means considering the size and weight of the vehicle.

You also need to think about the force that may arise if a car collides with a moving object as opposed to a stationary one. All of these dynamics must be taken into account,” Green explains.

Image Credit: GoMechanic

He adds that it’s not all up to the vehicle manufacturer. The driver and passenger also have a role to play, by ensuring they are wearing seatbelts. “If not, the idea of a safety cell is compromised, because no matter how carefully a car’s crumple zones are designed, it is inevitable that some force will remain unabsorbed. However, when you wear your seatbelt, you make sure that this is mitigated as far as possible.”

Image Credit: Weebly

This raises another question.

If crumple zones ensure that most of the force of impact is absorbed or at least directed away from those inside the car, why not make the whole car a crumple zone?  The answer to this, Green says, is because the ceilings, floors, and doors folding on the passengers would spell certain disaster.

“The crumple zones are usually located at the front and back of the car, while the passenger cabin is far more rigid. Where crumple zones handle external force, airbags ensure the driver and passenger do not make contact, upon impact, with the rigid dashboard or steering wheel inside the car,” he says.

Image Credit: Montreal News

Crumple Zone & Safety Cage

The capsule in which inhabitants sit – the safety cage – is also reinforced with pillars running the length of the car (from floor to ceiling), side-impact bars, the roof, and the floor itself.

These features ensure that the safety cage maintains its shape in the event of a collision.

Side impact bars in a car Image Credit: SKODA

Crumple zones have been a key part of car design since as far back as 1932 and were first introduced by Bela Barenyi, an engineer for Mercedes- Benz. Although cars have obviously changed and evolved dramatically since then, Barenyi’s concept of a vehicle sectioned into a rigid central zone surrounded by the front and back crumple zones remains unchanged.

Image Credit: Miller Kory Rowe LLP

Numerous tests have shown that a crumple zone can stop a car upon collision in 0.2 seconds as opposed to 0.1 seconds if the car, theoretically, did not have crumple zones. In this scenario, the crumple zone therefore literally cuts the force of the crash in half. This means that you have very little to worry about if your car is severely damaged in a crash.

The idea of such an expensive item folding in on itself in this manner can be quite disconcerting, but for your safety, this is precisely what your car should do if you are to remain as safe as possible.” Green concludes.

Source: Press release prepared on behalf of SAMBRA by Cathy Findley PR

5 Things You Should Avoid Doing After An Accident

By H&H Admin

Being involved in an accident is almost unavoidable on our roads and should you find yourself in such a situation there are a few things you can do to avoid making the situation worse.

Whether it’s a mild fender bender or something more serious, these are the six things you need to avoid at all costs.

1. Do not lose your cool

Regardless of who is at fault try to maintain your cool. Do not scream, make accusations or derogatory remarks which could further inflame the situation.  Instead, take deep breaths and work towards diffusing the situation by asking the other party if they are ok.  Remember, everyone is under enormous pressure and neither you nor the other party needed the added stress regardless of who was in the wrong. 

2. Do not leave your car in the middle of the road

Unless the damage is such that the vehicles cannot be moved it would good and considerate of you to move your vehicle out of the way. In order not to cause further incidents, your first priority is to pull your vehicle off to the side of the road to a safe distance from traffic. After turning on your hazard lights simply exit your car and approach the other driver in a non-threatening manner. “

3. Do not delay to contact the police

You must report the accident within 24-hours.  No matter how minor the situation, you must report the accident and obtain an accident number for reference.  Sorting things out yourself could lead to expensive repairs and mis-communication further down the line.

4. Do not delay to contact your insurance provider

Your insurance agent should always be called after you’ve exchanged the following information with the other driver: name, address, phone number, insurance company name, license plate number, name of the vehicle owner and car year/make/model/color.  The police accident report will also be required which will give details of the accident such as the location, the time of the crash and a summary of what happened. Pictures of the damage done to your vehicle will also come in handy so make sure you take as many as possible including road markings and damage to all vehicles involved.

5. Do not accept cash to keep it quiet

Some drivers—if they’re at fault and face possible legal and/or insurance issues because of their record—might offer what looks like a sufficient amount of cash to “fix the problem without contacting police or insurance companies.” This is a bad idea. “Even if it doesn’t look like it will cost that much to fix your vehicle because you have no way of knowing how expensive it may actually get. There’ could also be damage that you can’t see. Contacting police and your insurer is absolutely essential.

Involved in a car accident? Here’s what to do…

With international travel restricted for South Africans due to the latest COVID-19 variant, there will be an increased number of vehicles on our roads which could lead to a higher than usual rate accidents.

Car Tip of the Week: Here are the 3 most common types of service your car needs

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure and this applies to vehicle maintenance too!

There are 3 main types of maintenance service your vehicle needs and in order to get the best out of your vehicle and to keep it running optimally, all motorists should adhere to the car manufacturer’s service intervals.

When it comes to the type of service your vehicle is due for, largely depends on your car’s mileage. These are the different types of scheduled maintenance options:

  1. Basic service: This type of service is the most common and is routinely performed. In most cases it includes an oil change and oil filter, air filter and fluid checks, and is usually scheduled at 10,000km or 15,000km intervals. However, you should always refer to your car’s service book or speak to your Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) franchise dealer for information. 
  2. Advanced service: This service is generally set at further distance and time intervals, and can include the replacement of spark plugs, fuel filter, and pollen (cabin air) filters among other things.
  3. Major service: This is performed at even greater time and distance intervals. Major services can include the replacement of critical items such as timing belts and/or timing chains, and a detailed inspection of various mechanical components in your vehicle. 

Aside from the actual work performed, a service is also an opportunity for the technician or mechanic to inspect things that you as the owner may not be aware of. Compare it to a visit to the doctor: you can either go when you have an illness, or you can go for a regular check-up and see if they pick up a problem. 

Servicing your vehicle means that you will always be aware of the condition of your vehicle. For example, you may not know if your car needs a new wheel bearing or shock absorber, or that your brakes are nearing replacement time.

“Regular services allow the technician or mechanic to check for and inform you of any problem or issue before it becomes costly to replace or even fails completely, which could place both the vehicle and your safety on the road at risk. Mitigating risk at every turn is your responsibility as a vehicle owner,” says Kutlwano Mogatusi, WesBank’s Communications Specialist.

Here’s how driving with unrestrained passengers could kill you

by Vuyi Mpofu

Every now and then, the effectiveness of seatbelts and child restrains comes under scrutiny, usually in the form of a tête-à-tête at a braai or similar social gathering.

Recently, I found myself reluctantly drawn into a spirited banter with a visitor from a European country about the use or non-use of restraints in South Africa.  Fortunately, it was within a social setting and the gentleman in question – a devotee of Ignition TV – was aware of my feisty personality, which helped take the sting out of most of my commentary, (I hope).

The discussion begun when he commented about the high rate of fatalities in South Africa but, took a sour turn when he proclaimed “seatbelts are not a thing in this country.  I retorted by saying that everyone I know uses seatbelts but deep down, I knew that my social circle was not represented in the broad statement he had made.

Being as passionate as I am about road safety and feeling rather patriotic it wasn’t long before we were trading thinly veiled verbal blows about road safety in South Africa; and the flexible standards of quality control when it comes to certain vehicles and tyres which are permitted into our country.

Seatbelts should be ‘a thing’ among all road users

While it may be accurate to say that seatbelts and child restraints usage do not come as second nature to South African road users as in Europe and other parts of the world, we managed to agree that education was a key factor in reducing the number of serious injuries and mortalities on our roads.  As part of our efforts to find mutual ground and conclude the heated discussion, I agreed to share more information about seatbelts and child restraints, starting with this article.

Why don’t more South Africans use Seatbelts and Child Restraints?

The reality in our country is that there are roughly two distinct audiences for seatbelt and child restraints education.  One, is familiar with them and appreciates their purpose,  largely because they are among the millions of South Africans who own cars and use them daily.  The other, is the vast majority of the population who rely on taxies and buses, in which any type of occupant restraints seem to come as an optional extra.

I say this with caution as manufacturers of local commercial people movers do include seatbelts in their vehicles.  That said, I am hard-pressed to recall ever stopping at a traffic light and seeing the occupants in a taxi all buckled up.

What are seatbelts and child restraints for?

Seatbelts and child restraints should be seen as a secondary safety devices, created to minimize injury to a person in the event of an accident.  Their main purpose is to:

  1. Prevent you from being ejected from the car at the point of impact in the event of an accident
  2. Distribute the forces of a crash over the strongest parts of your body
  3. Prevent the probability of causing injury to other occupants*
  4. Reduce your risk of coming into contact with the interior of the vehicle
  5. Reduce the risk of serious injury in the event that you do come in contact with the vehicle’s interior

Granted, there are instances where people have reported failure in the mechanics of a seatbelt, particularly the buckle function.  In these occurrences, motorists have reportedly been unable to unbuckle them, resulting in an occupant becoming stuck in their seat.

As legitimate as these concerns are, and not to downplay their occurrences, the percentage of seatbelt buckle failure is minuscule compared to the number of times seatbelts and child restraints have played a major role in saving lives and reducing injuries.

The Importance of Seatbelts for Adults

There are three types of “collisions” that occur in every accident where occupants of a car are unrestrained.

The first type of collision occurs between the vehicle and another object, e.g. another vehicle(s), a stationary object (tree, signpost, or ditch), or a human or animal. The second, occurs between the unbelted occupants and the interior of the vehicle, e.g. the driver hits her chest against the steering wheel or her head against the window. The third and final type of collision takes place when the internal organs of the body knock against the body’s skeletal structure.

Of the three, it is the second collision that is responsible for most injuries.  It is by far, the cause of the most frequent and life-threatening injuries which happen to victims of head-on accidents involving occupants unrestrained by seatbelts.  These injuries, in order of importance are, a hit to the head, the chest followed by the abdomen.

Here’s what happens to an unrestrained adult in an accident

Let’s imagine you are driving with 2 other people in the car.  As the driver, you habitually buckle up but fail to notice or enforce the use of restraints on your passengers.  Perhaps youare under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication, or perhaps you are simply in the habit of driving fast because your car has a powerful engine.  Whatever the reason, in this scenario let us say you are driving well above the speed limit, at 140km/hr.  Suddenly, the vehicle in front of yours comes to dead stop.

As your car ploughs into the stationary vehicle.  You, the restrained driver are propelled forward for an unceremonious kissing session with the airbag while the pretensioner of your seatbelt simultaneously tugs at your torso.  Your head cracks against the window and bounces off your headrest, assuming of course that the window was closed and the headrest positioned in such a way as to provide the necessary support.

At the same time, the front passenger, flies into the windscreen and is projected out of the car. She bounces off the bonnet before landing on the rear of the preceding vehicle, (because she was unrestrained at point of impact, it is quite possible that she lands intothe vehicle).

Meanwhile, your equally unrestrained back seat passenger crashes into the backrest of the seat in front of her. Her ordeal has only just begun as she proceeds to mimic a tennis ball within the car, catapulting from one side of it to the other, uncontrollably.  All this happens in less than a blink of an eye and at the same speed you were driving at. 140km/hr.

Here’s what happens to an unrestrained infant in the event of an accident

People tend to feel extremely pained by the death or serious injury of a toddler.  As gory as the image of what happens when an unrestrained adult is involved in an accident, it is much more unfathomable when it happens to infants and here’s my take on why….

When it comes to car safety, toddlers are at the mercy of adults whose responsibility is to ensure their well-being as best they can.  When a child is killed or seriously injured in a car accident it is usually as a result of an adult who has shirked the responsibility of bucking them into an appropriate child restraint.

Here’s a short reminder, about just how vulnerable unrestrained toddlers in a car are. At birth, an infant’s head measures approximately a quarter of their total length and it is about a third of their body weight. Their skull is soft and flexible meaning a relatively small impact can result in significant deformation of the skull and brain. Also, their rib cage is not as rigid as that of a grown-up. In a nutshell, it is safe to say that the smaller the child, the smaller the force needed for serious injury.

In the event of an accident, harsh impact to a toddler’s chest can result in a large compression of the chest wall onto the heart and lungs and some of the abdominal organs. And because an infant’s pelvis is fragile, it cannot withstand the forces from an adult restraint system.  For this reason, infants require their own special seats designed to cradle them in a crash and provide protection from many types of crashes.

Now, let’s go back to the scenario in which you are driving (securely buckled-up) at 140km/hr.  This time though, your 5 year old is lying across the rear seat, sound asleep.  Once again an imaginary car comes to a sudden halt and your car collides into it.

At point of impact, your bundle of joy will ricochet within your car like the last jelly bean in the packet; smashing against the roof, doors, windows, and other passengers.  Because his head is heavier than the rest of their body, the horrifying series of aerial acrobatics he performs are all head first.  Eventually, he explodes from the car and lands, goodness knows where!  It could be on the middle of the road, in the path of passing or on-coming traffic, in the nearby bushes, into a body of water or maybe just next to your car.  Without question, they will be severely hurt, if at all alive, wherever they land.

The solution is simply to ensure that everyone in the car is buckled up.

As disturbing as these illustrations are, they are real.  I have heard many gruesome tales from first responders about what they are confronted with at accident sites.  In many instances, first responders talk about how the majority of accidents they are called out to could have been prevented.

The causes of preventable yet fatal accidents in our country relate to:

  1. Poorly maintained vehicles such as cars not serviced, damaged or incorrectly inflated tyres
  2. Poor visibility such as challenging weather conditions, poor eyesight, shattered windscreens
  3. Driver ‘error’ such as speeding, incorrect overtaking, lack of respect for basic road rules
  4. Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs
  5. Lack of proper usage of safety restraints

In my mind, the high fatality rate on our roads is inexcusable particularly when it comes to using seatbelts and child restraints.  It should be every driver’s rule that the vehicle will not move until all the occupants within it are safely buckled up, irrespective of the intended distance of travel.

As far as the availability and correct use of restraints as a part of everyday practice in taxies and buses – I can only hope that there will come a time when all vehicles on our roads have them and that the owners of those without, face the heavy arm of the law.  It really is high time that seatbelt and child restraint usage in South Africa, became ‘a thing’.

Research credit: Arrive Alive

5 types of pictures you MUST take at the scene of an accident

Accidents can happen to anyone at any time, but reports of how one occurred, can differ considerably. 

In addition to following the normal process of collecting information, taking pictures also comes in handy; after all, pictures say a thousand words.  That said, it is important to keep in mind that the purpose of taking pictures at an accident site is for photographic evidence and notto show off the gory nature of the accident.

Here are a few tips on the types of pictures you should ideally take at the scene of an accident.

  1. Set the stage:  Before you begin clicking away at the accident damaged cars, you need to “set the stage” of the accident. This allows you to “bring the accident site to the insurer” for the obvious reason that those people were not present when the accident took place. Taking pictures which allow them to be present at the scene allows them to get a better understanding of what happened moments before the collision.
  2. The position of the vehicles:  Take images from all four directions (north, south, east and west) and include all the affected vehicles, road markings, street names, traffic signage, road surface/condition, etc.  Ensure that you include portions, if not the entire vehicle, so that your car’s placement can be viewed in relation to the accident.  These images will make it easier to show how the vehicles came to a stop in the position they did, after the accident occurred.
  3. Position of damage on the vehicle:  Many people tend to take pictures of the damage on their car which sadly, is not as relevant to accident investigators, as the position of the damage on the car.  Don’t get it wrong –  showing the damage is important but it is only part of the evidence required to help make your case.  Rather, take images that show the damage in relation to the surrounding, undamaged area of the car.  For instance, if another driver collided with yours from the left, take pictures of the entire left-hand side of the car, as well as a close-up of the damaged area.
  4. Road conditions / General environment:  Focus on damage to the surroundings as a result of the accident. These could include fluid spills, tyre/skid markings, pieces that may have come off the accident-damaged vehicles, road markings, road signs (or the absence thereof), street lights, potholes, road works, mile markers and any other unique features.  Remember to keep your car (portion of or whole) in the frame as a “reference” point.
  5. Documentation: It is important to take pictures of the documents belonging to all parties involved.  These should include driver’s licenses, IDs, license disks and/or license plates, and vehicle branding.  In addition, it is advisable to take pictures of any injuries you or others might have sustained, including medical reports of your check-up post the accident.

Remember to clean the lens of your phone camera so that the images are clear and the text on the licenses and car branding is easy to read; and that it is illegal to distribute images of other people without their consent.  The pictures you take should only be used to aid your version of events.

NB: This article is a guide and does not represent any insurance, legal or accident codes of behavior.

Are you sitting correctly in your car?

Safety technology in vehicles can be the difference between life and death. In the majority of instances, however, drivers and passengers need to use this technology in certain ways in order for it to work properly. In fact, if you do not do something as simple as sitting correctly, or wear a seatbelt correctly, it can cause damage to the occupant.

The managing director of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says drivers and passengers who use seatbelts and sit properly, reduce mortality rates in crashes by up to 67%. “This proves the importance of using these safety features correctly. Many people, knowingly and unknowingly, sit in vehicles in ways that not only prevent the safety technology from working as it should but causes additional injuries.”

These are some of the most dangerous ways to sit in a vehicle:

  • Feet on the dash: airbags deploy at up to 350km/h. If one deploys while your feet are on the dash, instead of protecting you it can break bones in your legs, hips, and/or back and even result in death.
  • With a child or pet on your lap: you will rob the child of the safety of wearing a seatbelt and propel the child or animal out the front window at the speed that the vehicle was traveling at. If the airbag deploys, it will slam into the child or animal at up to 350km/h while they continue their forward projectory at the speed the car was moving.
  • Sitting in the rear unrestrained: in a crash, unrestrained people, animals, and unsecured objects will slam into the front seats at the speed that the vehicle was moving. While this could result in only injuries to unrestrained passengers in the back, it could kill front passengers as they are squeezed between the force from the back and the seatbelt in the front. The passenger in the rear can slam into the front seat at the weight of an elephant in a car that is traveling at 60km/h.
  • Not wearing a seatbelt correctly: a seatbelt should be worn with the bottom part across your hip bones and the section that crosses your body should rest on your collarbone. It should not be against your neck or be worn under the arm. Wearing a seatbelt correctly ensures the impact is absorbed by the strongest parts of your body and protects from internal injuries and broken ribs.
  • Slouching: avoid sitting with your seat as far back and low as is possible with one arm straight out holding the steering. Your visibility is limited and you have reduced control while steering. Rather position your seat so that if you straighten your arms you can rest your wrists on top and still have a slight bend in your arm. Before you start, position your seat so that you can press all pedals completely to the floor. Ensure you hold the steering wheel with both hands.

Think carefully about your safety before you slide into your favorite position the next time you get in the car. “Avoid these too common ways of sitting to prevent life-changing injuries or death should you be in a car accident,” says Herbert.