Serious road accidents and avoidance

Drivers getting seriously hurt in accidents seem to be on the increase. Let's take the lack of discipline and impaired driving as a given for a good number of these casualties.

One could also conclude that some of the serious accidents are caused by lack of knowhow of the "newer" safety equipment in vehicles. If one were to ask both seasoned and newer drivers about what driving posture should be taken in a car equipped with airbags the answer is usually a quizzical look.

It seems that driving instructors are not teaching how airbags work in case of a head-on collision.

Older drivers still, in most cases, drive with one hand on the top of the steering wheel, an invitation to some serious injuries if the airbags are deployed. It's time we all learned to be seated in a comfortable position squarely behind the steering wheel, both hands on the outside of the wheel, ideally at the "9 and 3" while we're driving along. Of course, one can ignore this and wait for a head-on collision to find out why.