There is an oriental tale from olden times that the prince of a vast empire lost a crucial battle because one shoe of the horse he was riding in the field was loose.
In the thick of the battle the loose shoe got separated from the horse’s hoof, the horse stumbled, the prince fell off the saddle and his confused soldiers retreated fearing the prince was dead.
The moral of the story is that if you ignore a small issue in the beginning you may have to subsequently pay heavily for the lapse.
And as you drive on a highway there are a number of small issues you should look into and consider in order to avoid unpleasant consequences. Here are 10 of them:
· Make a mental map of the route you are going to take and choose your lane[s] accordingly.
· Give a once-over to your vehicle. Did anyone bump it while it was parked? Does any tyre show signs of sagging due to puncture or loss of air?
· Every two or three days lift the bonnet to ensure the coolant level is right. Especially during the summer, your engine is bound to heat up if the coolant is low.
· Make sure your rear-view mirror and the side-view mirrors are properly adjusted.
· Ensure your mobile phone is either switched off or on silent mode. Even speaking on the phone with your hands free is no guarantee against driving mistakes since while your hands might be on the steering and eyes on the road, your mind might be elsewhere.
· Do not make a sudden dash to change a lane. This may confuse the drivers in the lane you want to enter. It also means you have no time to use the indicators to signify your intent to switch the lane and thus may cause accident.
· Do not switch lane after crossing the traffic light while you are still within the crossing zone.
· Do not take U-turn where it is not allowed, just because the lane with the oncoming traffic is free. Who knows, once you are halfway through the illegal turn a speeding vehicle approaching in its proper lane might hit you.
· Do not make a dash to catch the green light before it turn red. Patience saves lives on the road.
· Avoid entering the Yellow Box if it would mean your ‘parking’ the vehicle there, unable to clear it.