The author in elaborating certain tips on title ‘Motorbike Safety Tips In Rain And Snowfall‘ posted in TechDaily Times on 28 Sep 2020, has highlighted few aspects of motor-bike drive in a cold climate and hilly regions but not kept in view relevant precautions of great importance, to drive it in normal seasons covering areas especially in our country by uneducated drivers. Trends of Motorbike Riding in our country are totally different as the majority of us on motorbike drive, neither respect traffic regulations nor exercise any precaution in our own & others interest.
Majority of motor-bikers are inclined to impatience and intolerance for their uninterrupted passage, either way, left or right, opposite one-way drive, jumping traffic signals, at times, hit & run. Their mental state whether old or new ultimately acquires the same school of thoughts. In fact, there is no track or lane demarcated for motorbike drive in our country, due to which, they drive in any lane, amid fast-moving heavy vehicles, ignoring the risk of fatal accidents.
The safe drive of Vehicle or Motorbike
For motorbike riding amid light vehicles even on topsy-turvy roads of the village is different from driving in urban areas on big roads & streets, busy in motion by multi-kind of light & heavy vehicles, requiring classification of equipment to drive with appropriate cautiousness, summarized below:-
Equipment Cautiousness:
First & foremost, the rider must always bear in mind the kind & size of equipment he/she intends to drive. Secondly, the area and passage available to drive. Regardless of climatic seasons, air thrust from the opposite side of the drive-in a covered vehicle, e.g. motor-car will impact the wind-screen & body of equipment, while on driving motor-bike, both bodies of, the equipment & the rider will bear this impact together equally. Most of the riders carelessly ignore the size of equipment (motorbike) on driving it and zigzag trespass all driving lanes to find their way even overtaking heavy vehicles, both very big in size and heavy in weight than a motorbike.
Seasonal Precautions On Drive:
In hot seasons, the rider may like the air but in the winter season, the same air will affect human body coldly, while the equipment will also serve as a good conductor of wind. Definitely, this requires the rider to wearing of appropriate clothes to meet corresponding situations. This precaution is ignored by most of the uneducated and even educated persons. Some riders driving zigzag their 7-8 family members on-board one motorbike, adjust one small child on the fuel tank of bike and infant in laps of wife behind, ignore the impact of air on face of child & infant.
Priorities of Vehicle Checks
When you wish to drive; in both ways, whether the intended vehicle to drive is motor-car or motorbike, the driver has to ensure safety checks prior to board & drive, with the entire family and w/out. Majority of motorbike and motorcar drivers, ignore checking the air in tires, brakes, headlight, backlight, oil, water in the radiator, accelerator, clutch, etc., and randomly board vehicle in haphazard to drive. The majority, most often try to check once in bloom and take it for granted forever unless some fault eventually comes up or cause an unforeseen accident. Precautions suggested by author are very important and useful all the time in all seasons to drive. Riders especially young blood should benefit from these tips.
The durability of Tires Especially In Front Wheels
One of the most significant precautions is to check the tires of the vehicle, especially the front wheels of both motorcar and motorbike. The pressure of air in tires vary from season to season and off-course, the quality of track falling on the route, the driver has to face. Tubeless tires are proved to be more roadworthy than tube wearing tires, an outdated practice. Tubeless are durable having the quality to facilitate a portion of punctures, if filled with adhesive tape or stick, to temporarily serve till repair. Any tire filled with air, in motion, becomes hot, require its cooling by throwing water on it and short rest.
Passage Facilitations EnRoute
The weather forecast, time duration, length of the intended journey, track conditions in the passage, the requirement of fuel and availability of fuel pumps to refuel on way from origin till destination, play very important and dependable roles to cover the journey, comfortably safe and enjoyable.
Driving Papers In Order to drive
Necessary papers should be in order, such as vehicle ownership, registration, valid driving license and permission to transport passengers on a private and commercial vehicle. Many drivers on commercial vehicles in our country, are found un-educated, who manage to get a driving license without passing written and practical test of traffic regulations and essential traffic signs to understand and follow.
All safety precautions must be implemented to observe, such as fastening the seat belt, the seating of children & infants in commercial & private vehicles, comfortable facilitation of seating, max/min speed to drive in different area and situation. Smoke emitting vehicles must be banned to drive on roads to improve the environment and driving culture.
Loud Horns
Using Loud Horns are considered an uncivilized habit. Noise creates irritation in temperament and acute disturbance in peace. Not only human beings but animals too, feel the disturbance of loud horns and tend to escape from a noisy place, as a natural tendency. Sound of cracker, gun-shot, loud horn and shouting drag attention within the vicinity. Pressure horns are used by locomotive engines pulling a train through dense jungles to disperse wild animals from railway track to clear passage and to save wildlife from being hit. Unfortunately, such fearful pressure horns are fixed in commercial vehicles and frequently used to disperse human beings on roads like animals in jungles.
In all civilised countries, law-abiding citizens refrain from using loud horns in the city and on highways, especially within the vicinity of hospitals, educational institutions and living areas. Unfortunately, the majority of drivers in our country habitually use horns without caring any area coming across their way.
Horns are meant to be used only under emergency situations to save lives and its violations are seriously viewed and heavily fined but this good habit is unknown to our drivers. Impact of loud horns to all ears in general especially of senior citizens, sick, children and infants, serve terribly. Majority of the driver on commercial vehicles, use locomotive pressure horns, heavy vehicles use light vehicle horns and even motorcycles use heavy vehicle & pressure horns to clear their passage uninterrupted.
Traffic Regulations
Majority of motorbike riders willfully and in routine disobey & defy Traffic Regulations. They fearlessly ignore traffic signals, U-turns, roundabouts, drive-in service lanes, drive on the fast track of highways, apply loud horns, carry more than 7-8 passengers onboard one motorbike, park anywhere they like, overtake any kind of vehicle in their way, at times, even drive on footpath hitting pedestrians & run, causing fatal accidents. The more motorbike drive is disciplined, the more our traffic flow will be smooth and accident-free.
Governor Sindh and DIG Traffic Karachi are requested to take note of the root causes of undisciplined traffic and undertake strict measure to discipline the smooth flow of traffic.
Hasan Adil Malik
Karachi /Mob: 0345-2410394