Women, particularly in South Africa, have to exercise a modicum of caution when driving anywhere – they should avoid driving alone at night, valuables such as cellphones and handbags should be kept out of sight and doors should stay locked. But in terms of them operating their cars safely, there are a few more things to know.
Elvio Jardim, MD of the Autoway Service Centre franchise notes that there are a few bonuses to owning modern vehicles. “Today’s vehicles are clever and sensitive, they will tell you what is wrong. Check your car manual for the explanation. Independent workshops are equipped to assist most vehicles on the road, so use them. They will help you and offer guidance to rectify your vehicle’s problems or take preventative measures to ensure you’re not left stranded with a broken down vehicle.”
Despite laws against the use of cellphones while driving, people still ignore this and use them anyway. This distracts drivers and can cause negligent driving. Jardim suggested, “Having a hands-free cellphone feature/device installed in the vehicle will free up your hands to do the driving.”
He continued, “Ensuring that your lights and brakes are functioning correctly is imperative. Also check the wear and tear of your tyre tread as smooth tyres can be very dangerous, especially on wet roads.”
He concluded that while not a safety feature of a vehicle, his advice for women would be not to drive in high heels as it becomes difficult to manoeuvre one’s feet when needing to brake urgently. One runs the risk of the heel getting stuck and resulting in an accident.
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