Not ready? Don’t get in behind the wheel

In the same way that we check to see if our vehicle is safe to drive, we must also check and see if we ourselves are fit to drive. Before you hit the road, take a few minutes to ask yourself if you are mentally and physically ready to drive. Make it a habit to ask yourself, “Am I in the right state to complete the journey safely, both mentally and physically?” Failure of doing this might put your life or the lives of other innocent people on the road in danger.

You might need to check your health status with your doctor to confirm that you are able to drive a vehicle without losing control of it. As certain medical conditions may cause you to suddenly lose control of a vehicle, e.g., epilepsy or diabetes. Your doctor may also prescribe you medicine that may impact your ability to drive a vehicle. 

The physical check should include your vision — can you see at night; and your hearing — can you hear sounds while driving, such as the seatbelt alert, and can you hear other car horns while on the road?

You must also be able to control all driving instruments, as there are certain injuries that prevent you from doing this. Do not drive if you suffer from any injury that prevents you from driving safely.

Your mood may also affect the way you drive a vehicle. Your mood is the emotional state that you are in at any certain moment. If you are angry, sad or very happy, this may negatively affect your concentration to drive safely. Avoid driving when you are very emotional, as this may lead to an accident.

If you happen to be in a different country, make sure you are aware of the driving laws and speed limits, and driving in new weather conditions, such as driving in snow. You must also note that driving in the Kingdom is different from driving in other countries.

And always remember that if you are not ready or your mental or physical status is not suitable for driving a vehicle, do not be shy about taking a taxi or ask a friend to drop you at your destination.

To summarize: 

• Any physical or mental state can affect your ability to drive a vehicle — don’t drive if you are very emotional
• Your mental state affect your ability to make good decisions
• If you have any doubt or fear, use public transportation or ask someone to drive your vehicle instead.

Don’t forget to test your knowledge about your readiness to drive by taking the Traffic Safety monthly quiz.