Secure the belt for safer drive

Wearing seat belts can reduce the chances of fatal injury by 28 per cent.

In India we have lost people like Giani Zail Singh and Rajesh Pilot in road traffic accidents. So far no lessons have been learnt by the administration by the death of these two eminent personalities.

We have also seen Ajit Jogi, the former chief minister of Chattisgarh, surviving a near fatal road accident. In all the three situations the victim was not driving the vehicle. All of them had professional drivers on the driving seat.

Ajit Jogi was not even sitting in the front seat. Accident occurred at 3 am while Jogi was sleeping in the rear seat of a medium sized vehicle. He sustained severe head and neck injuries for which he had to be flown to Mumbai for an urgent surgery.

Whether we hire a chauffer driven car or a driver to simply drive our car for long distance travels, we must be careful in selecting the driver and the car as well. Most commercial drivers in India are over worked to make extra earnings. Ideally no driver should drive continuously for more than eight hours a day.

Also, commercial drivers in India have an inclination to drive under the influence of alcohol. It is a well known fact that no amount of alcohol is safe as far as driving is concerned. That does not mean that one should not travel long distances. The answer lies in taking precautions.

One must ensure that both the driver and the passenger in the font seat wear the seat belt, and the driver does not cross the designated speed limit. One should also ensure that all the passengers in the rear seat wear proper seat belts. Cars without proper seat belts should not be hired.

Wearing seat belts by the rear seat can reduce the chances of fatal injury by 28 per cent. One should take lessons from the car accident of Princess Diana in Paris in 1997. All the three - Diana, her driver and Dodi Fayed were not wearing seat belts and sustained fatal injuries. Only her bodyguard sitting in the front seat received non-fatal facial injuries and survived because he was wearing a belt and was also protected by the air bag on the steering.

Sitting in the rear seat is safe only if one uses the seat belt and which should consist of both lap and shoulder belts. Most seat belts in India may have only a lap belt.

It is not only important to wear the belt but it is equally important to wear it correctly. If a person sitting in rear seat is wearing only a lap belt, in case of any collision he or she have chances of sustaining severe abdominal, spinal and head injuries.

For a rear seat passenger the force impending the passenger forward results in extreme flexion at the waist, compression of abdominal organs and whipping action resulting in major head and neck injuries. Rear seat injuries lead to pressure during neck motion of as high as 115 mmHg.

Front sitters with improper or no belts get severe injuries which are either due to head hitting the wind shield or body getting jammed up against the steering wheel and instrument panel.

While sitting in the car one should sit tall and the lap belt must be buckled low to avoid any injury to abdominal organs if an accident occurs.

Here are a few tips:
* Choose a car which has enough petrol so that you don't have to stop on the way and there is no security risk

* Choose a car which has properly fitted seat belts for all the passengers whether in the front or in the rear. The seat belts should have both lap and shoulder belt

* The 3-point belt is better than not wearing a belt but is not a substitute for shoulder and lap belts

* One should choose a driver who is not under the influence of alcohol and is fresh physically and mentally

* A driver should be able to read the number plate from a distance of 20 ft. and should have a good reaction time

* Everybody in the car whether sitting in the front or in the back must wear the seat belts

* While sitting one must ensure that the lap belt is buckled low.

* After every few hours one should break the journey so that the driver can take rest and recharge his mental energy

* Always avoid reading, sleeping or answering telephone calls when sitting along side the driver. It may be enough to divert the driver’s mind.

* The driver should not be allowed to listen to mobile calls even if it is with a hands-free set as a fraction of a second diversion can result in an accident

* One should maintain a distance between the two cars of at least 2-3 seconds

* One should be careful while going for a long journey during night time both for security reasons as well as risks that most of the heavy vehicles including trucks with reckless drivers drive during that time

* This is a matter of controversy whether or not listening to the music while driving affects the attention of the driver. Most medical literature believe that music can divert the mind of a person. It is specifically true when listening to any kind of breaking news like Sachin Tendulkar getting out.

(Dr. Aggarwal is Sr. Consultant, Mool Chand Hospital, Executive Vice Chairman, Heart Care Foundation of India & President-Elect, Delhi Medical Association.)