Is it safe to wear sandals while driving?

After causing a series of accidents on Vo Chi Cong Street (Hanoi) on the afternoon of April 5, the image of a driver wearing flip-flops, absent-mindedly opening the car door and getting out has caused a lot of controversy. Many people believe that wearing flip-flops while driving is the reason why the car crashed into the crowd and became uncontrollable.

To have safe trips and journeys, according to experts, drivers and especially women should pay attention to some basic rules such as: Adjusting the seat appropriately, focusing on driving, wearing suitable shoes...

1. Adjust the seat to fit

Whether a driver is new or experienced, before getting behind the wheel, the most important thing is to adjust the seat to suit yourself. Do not sit too far or too close to the steering wheel, adjust the seat to the most comfortable position.

A comfortable, correct sitting position will make driving safer.

This not only helps the driver reduce fatigue while driving but also helps to have the best observation position and not be affected when needing to handle unexpected situations.

In addition, adjusting the seating position properly also helps drivers limit injuries in the event of a collision. Drivers must also remember to fasten their seat belts before driving.

2. Adjust the rearview mirror

After adjusting the seat, adjusting the rearview mirrors inside and outside the car is one of the extremely important rules before you drive on the road. Because it helps you observe vehicles and obstacles on both sides and behind the car while driving on the road and when reversing.

So after having a suitable driving position, drivers start adjusting the rearview mirror to have the most optimal visibility. Especially for unfamiliar cars, this is extremely important. Many drivers have said: "The rearview mirror of a car is like the driver's second pair of eyes when participating in traffic".

3. Do not wear high heels or slippers when driving

According to safe driving experts, when driving a car, drivers should wear flat and comfortable shoes, or sandals with straps, and absolutely do not wear high heels or high boots to drive a car.

Types of shoes to wear when driving include: Sneakers (flat soles), flat soles like sports shoes, ballet flats (for women), ankle boots, dress shoes, and loafers.

When driving, the feet have to work a lot, so drivers should be careful not to use unsafe shoes and sandals: high heels, slippers, flip-flops...

Because the driver's feet are very important because they have to press the gas, brake, and hold the clutch, they require mobility, rhythm, and precision. Unstable sandals can cause you to slip off the brake pedal in emergency situations.

According to various surveys, wearing inappropriate shoes can lead to worse consequences than going barefoot. Specifically, according to research by NMRA, an insurance company in Australia, when asking 1,000 drivers, they said 60% of them still wear flip-flops or high heels when driving; and 38% admitted to having lost a shoe before an accident.

Therefore, driving safety experts advise drivers to wear suitable shoes or sandals with straps to ensure the stability of the feet. Flip-flops or slippers do not have support from the sole, are easy to slip and can get stuck under the pedals, causing the driver to be distracted when trying to put the sandals back on...

In addition, according to experts, wearing high heels while driving is completely unreasonable, when stepping on the gas pedal and getting stuck, it is not only dangerous for other road users around but also for yourself. Therefore, whether male or female, always keep a separate pair of shoes when driving, and when stopping, change to high heels or rubber boots.

Especially for women, wearing high heels will make it difficult for them to control the accelerator and brake pedals, even fumbling to press the wrong pedal from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal, especially in dangerous emergency situations, when moving on roads with high density of people and vehicles participating in traffic.

4. Choose neat, comfortable clothes

Not only high heels or high boots can be dangerous when driving, but overly fussy, restrictive clothing... can also cause unnecessary accidents.

According to Nguyen Anh Tuan - a driving instructor in Hanoi, many women who drive often wear sun protection shirts, scarves, hats, flared skirts... are unintentionally endangering themselves, pedestrians or people sitting in the car when traveling on the street. Because inappropriate clothing will make it difficult to observe when driving, not be able to handle unexpected situations or get caught in details on the car, causing accidents.

Driving clothes that are too cumbersome will make it difficult for the driver to observe and handle unexpected situations.

"Therefore, through many years of experience, I advise women, especially new drivers, to choose appropriate clothing when driving. If you have to wear elaborate clothing, you should use public transport: Taxi, Grap... to ensure safety" - Mr. Tuan noted.

5. Try the accelerator and brake pedal several times

After adjusting the seat and rearview mirrors, another important thing to check before driving is the accelerator, brake (automatic transmission) and clutch (manual transmission).

With this test, you will know the weight and lightness of the clutch, accelerator and brake pedals. This will help you know how to coordinate the force on your feet when applying pressure to the pedals to ensure that no unexpected incidents occur on the road.

Especially for the brakes, before starting the engine, press the brake pedal 3-5 times. If the brake pedal hardens and stops, the brake booster system is still working well. When the engine starts, the brake pedal must slowly lower to its original position and not stay still.

If you do not start the engine but the brake pedal feels weak and you can press it as many times as you want, it means the vacuum assist system has lost its effectiveness. At this point, it is best to call a mechanic to check on the spot or call a tow truck, do not risk taking the car out on the road.

6. Do not get too close to the vehicle in front and do not back up too close to the obstacle behind.

For new drivers, estimating the distance from the front or rear of the car to obstacles or vehicles on the road... is difficult.

Therefore, when participating in traffic or reversing, new drivers should stop/park further away (park lower) than usual to avoid unnecessary collisions.

When driving, keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front.

Also, keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front to give yourself more time to react in case of an emergency. Do not follow the vehicle in front too closely.

According to experts, the 3-second rule when driving is to lean on something on the road such as a lamppost, a tree or anything that can be used as a base. After the car in front passes. Count in your head 1, 2, 3 seconds. This is the distance you should keep to be able to react to braking when there is an unexpected occurrence from the car in front.

- At a speed of 60km/h, the safe distance is 17m/s. So after 3 seconds, we are 50m away from the car in front.

- Similarly 80km/h is 22m/s. So 3s is 65m

- 100km/h is 28m/s. So 3s is 83m

- 120km/h is 33m/s. So 3s is 100m

7. Do not use the phone while driving

Do not use the phone while driving.

Whether you are a new or old driver, using your phone while driving is absolutely forbidden. Because just a moment of inattention can cause an accident. Especially for new drivers when handling is not yet proficient and experience is not much.

So, do not use your phone while driving because it can easily cause distraction.

A study from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (USA) shows that texting while driving can increase the risk of a collision by 23 times compared to focusing on driving.

8. Don't watch movies while driving

Nowadays, most car models are equipped with entertainment screens, so many people often use them to watch movies while in the car. However, this is a very dangerous habit because it distracts the driver.

Distracted driving is dangerous and puts you at risk of accidents.

Therefore, drivers should not turn on movies when driving because it will distract you and not focus on driving. This will easily lead to accidents or collisions with other vehicles.

The biggest danger to drivers on the road is other drivers, so always keep your eyes on the road instead of your phone or car screen.

In addition, some women also take advantage of putting on makeup while driving, which is also a dangerous habit. Therefore, whether you have been driving for a long time or are new to driving, you should immediately stop this habit if you do not want an unexpected accident to happen.

9. Do not accelerate or brake suddenly

For new drivers, the feeling of the clutch, brake and accelerator pedals is not completely accurate and can not be controlled as desired. Therefore, you should go slowly and calmly to get used to and feel the clutch, accelerator and brake pedals. Do not step on the accelerator when driving because you may not be able to control the power of the car when accelerating, causing the car to go out of control...

This can easily create awkward situations and potentially cause unfortunate accidents.

10. Make it a habit to lock the doors when getting in the car and look out when getting out.

Whether you are a new or old driver, male or female, these are habits you should practice and maintain because they will help keep you and others safer.

Looking before opening the door to get out of the car will help you avoid unnecessary accidents.

Firstly, locking the doors when getting in will prevent young or unfamiliar passengers from opening the doors while the vehicle is moving and will also help to inform the driver that the doors have been properly closed.

Every time you get out of the car, whether you are the driver or sitting in any position in the car, you should look behind you before opening the door and open it slowly to avoid danger to other road users./.