Ndlovu tragedy: Ugly side of night-time travels

 

suffered broken ribs and has injuries to his legs and head. The life of Nomqhele Tshili (24), who was travelling in the same vehicle, was not spared.

According to reports, Peter’s South Africa-registered BMW X5 burst a tyre, veered off the road and uprooted three trees, killing his brother and the passenger. In the twinkling of an eye, on that sad morning, the country was left poorer.

During his 13-year illustrious career, Adam mesmerised many with his skills and brought glory to his motherland.

He donned the number 13 jersey in the Reinhard Fabisch-coached Dream Team, whose cutting edge and giant-felling exploits made almost everyone identify with the national squad.

Zifa have since retired the jersey in honour of this great son of the soil whose death has shaken the entire football family, forcing some people to weep openly.

Peter, who as I commit pen to paper is reportedly responding well to treatment, has also done the nation proud. He has 100 caps for the national team and has had a fruitful career which has seen him ply his trade in Europe and the neighbouring South Africa, which has earned him iconic status.
Newspapers are enjoying brisk business as a result of this tragedy which has touched the hearts of many, including the highest office in the land.

The President sent his condolences and so did the Prime Minister and other eminent sons of this  great land. Adam’s burial is slated for tomorrow in Bulawayo and almost everyone is willing to witness the send off of one of the country’s greatest sons amid calls from certain sections to have him declared a national hero.

Coming as it does in the festive season, this tragedy bids on everyone across the nation to observe traffic regulations to stay alive.

It calls into question why people, under whatever circumstances, should travel at night. That legendary footballers have been involved in this accident puts into perspective the fact that it can happen to anyone, the rich and the poor.

There are so many accidents being recorded countrywide this time of the year, just like any other time and it is critical to ensure everyone plays it safe on the roads.

Night driving is one evil that claims to decimate the population and bleed it of productive people capable of pulling the country out of its economic doldrums.

According to motoring experts, driving at night has its drawbacks such as night blindness, vehicles without lights and the prevalence of drunk drivers.

Another very serious consideration is the risk you run of breaking down in an unsafe area in the middle of the night. There have been incidents of breakdowns where people have been victims of crime.

Countless women have been raped and robbed after their cars break down in the dead of the night.
Robbers in most parts of the country strike under cover of darkness and the fact that very few people live along highways, makes their prospects of being identified or disturbed minimal.

“While there is no way to predict the likelihood of your car letting you down, there are a number of things people can do to avoid being a victim of crime should their car fail them, particularly at night when there’s less traffic on the road,” says Gary Ronald, the motoring expert.

Here are some safety precautions motorists can follow:

• If the problem is a flat tyre and if your car can still move, continue driving for as long you can until you get to a safer place like a petrol station

• Make sure you inform at least one friend or family member about your situation and exact location

• If you have a family member or friend who stays near to the location of the breakdown, contact them for assistance because any service provider would require time to respond to your request for assistance

• Sit in your passenger seat with your hazard lights on, it will look as if there is more than one person in the vehicle

• If you feel unsafe in your vehicle, get out and look for a place to hide but make sure you still have a clear view of your vehicle for when help arrives

• Should you be confronted by attackers, do not resist. If they ask for your cellphone, wallet or money, hand it over without any resistance

• If offered assistance by a stranger and you accept a lift, leave a visible note in the car giving details of the person such as make of their car, their registration number, a cell number as well as where they are taking you. This information will be important in case you are involved in an accident or if that person has other intentions

• Lock all valuables in the boot so they are not visible to potential thieves.

“The best defence against these kinds of situations is to try to avoid driving at night and have your car serviced regularly so it won’t let you down when you are most vulnerable. If you do have to drive at night, try to have someone with you in the car so that if anything happens, you are not all by yourself,” concludes the expert.

The Automobile Association says nighttime driving not only diminishes a driver’s visibility, but also their distance and speed perception, making it harder to judge a situation.

We drive during the night around 25 percent of our driving time, a lot of us find driving at night a breeze as there is often a lot less traffic around to worry about, whereas others find the lack of clear visibility daunting, but whether you’re confident or wary, there are some important facts that we should all know about in order to drive safer and more confidently at night to prevent accidents or potential hazards.

First of all, for those who think driving at night is safer you’re in for a surprise, deaths caused by cars and traffic happen three times more often at night than during the daytime.

Driving at night is often easier said than done, especially if you’re travelling down roads with no street lights, this can often make it feel like you’re driving into complete darkness, as your headlights only allow you to see so far in front, which is why driving at night is a lot more dangerous than driving in the daytime.

Despite all the figures and statistics that are actually associated with driving during the twilight hours, a lot of us are still completely unaware of the hazards we face at night, or in fact the precautions we should all take before driving off into the darkness. But really, why is driving at night so dangerous?
“Well, there are many reasons, the main one being that you often face very poor visibility. Obviously at night time, the darkness seriously restricts the amount you can see, we end up completely depending on simulated, artificial sources of light such as street lamps and headlights.

“The headlights on our cars allow us to see a certain amount into the distance, but our tangential vision is not as clear as it is during the daytime. As well as this, darkness hinders us further as it makes it harder for us to fully gauge distances and movement ahead,” the association said.

According to health experts, lack of sunlight and probable late time causes us to become very tired as we’re driving, fatigue can often dull our concentration, which in turn drastically reduces our reaction time.

This is also true in the daytime if you are lacking sleep or even hungover, so it’s essential that if you will be driving at night, you are in the right state to do so, and are well rested and prepared for the journey in the dark.  Learn more about how to avoid drowsy driving and how it affects your ability to drive safely. One of the main reasons for night time collisions and accidents can be alcohol.

Despite the vigorous campaigns and laws that have been put into place in order to prevent drink-driving, there are still people out there who take the risk and drive over the limit.

“No matter how drunk I am, just put me on the driver’s seat and we will arrive safely. I have done this many times before. The more I drink, the more I become competent,” you hear people saying at beerhalls around the country.

“One for the road, makes the driver wiser,” they purr, risking life and limb in the process.
The Automobile Association of South Africa says most fatal night time crashes occur over the weekend, when people make the wrong decision and choose to drive home drunk after a night out.
It’s important you are always aware of this type of risk, especially over the weekend, and never drive drunk yourself.

In order to be a safer driver at night there are, of course, some great ways you can do this in order to protect yourself and those around you.

Firstly, it can be really beneficial to limit your speed, don’t think that just because nobody is around you can speed, there might be someone else around the corner thinking exactly the same thing and before you know it you’re involved in a serious road collision, so always take great care, and increase your following distances.

“Don’t ‘over drive’. Over-driving is when you drive so fast you won’t be able to react to a hazard that can suddenly appear in your headlights.

“Your full beam headlights usually allow you to see up to 350 feet in front of you, so when travelling at high speeds, do you think you’d be able to stop within that distance? It’s an important factor to think about the next time you’re speeding down those secluded roads late at night.”
Always remember your headlights, from dusk until dawn.

Your lights can help you in ways you can’t imagine, even if you think you can see ahead quite well, another driver may struggle to see you, so it’s as much about allowing other people to see you as it is you seeing them, so if in doubt, turn them on!

While there are circumstances that force one to travel at night, it is critical to avoid this for the sake of safety.