Car Safety
We spend a lot of time in our cars, so making certain you are equipped to deal with all situations is essential. From weather conditions to break downs. We must be prepared.
Essential Equipment
An essential piece of equipment for your vehicle is a good quality dash camera. Some people will go for both a front and rear camera, however this can be a little unnecessary.
A high resolution camera with a quality memory card plugged into an accessible USB port is the best option.
It is recommended that you can access the USB connection to your camera so when you are parked you can plug the camera into a Power Bank so it records video when you are away from the vehicle. Public Car Parks especially. Some insurance companies insist on a dash camera being fitted and in some cases can lower the cost of your insurance policy.
Vehicle Equipment
Road Rage
Cause: Increased volume of vehicles on the roads. More stress in our daily lives. A variety of driving styles and rules. An increase in people that have a don't care attitude.
Answer: Try to not over react. Try to be more forgiving of other drivers. Acknowledge if you made the mistake.
Escalation: If and when a situation escalates to the point of potential violence. You must remain calm. If you are being chased in your car, try to drive to a local Police Station or a safe place nearby, populated with people who can help defuse the situation. If you are pulled over and someone is trying to gain entry to your vehicle make certain the central locking is ON. If it is safe to do so drive away carefully. Once the aggressor begins to see sense then situations can de-escalate rapidly and normality may resume.
Gather Evidence
Today's modern Dash Cameras work by recording video footage as you drive. The footage is stored in date and time order on a Micro Memory Card inside the camera and depending on the storage size of this card will recycle (loop) and record over old footage when the car is full. Most cameras have a sensor that detects a crash and will prioritise that recording clip and not delete it.
If you wish to review an incident or something you feel you need to keep you can either link your smart phone to the camera and download that footage to your photo album or remove the memory card and download it on a desktop computer or laptop that has a memory card reader.
Thinking of posting footage on social media ? Always think twice about this and any potential consequences.
People may react differently to your footage and start picking faults with your driving style, it may lead to unnecessary arguments and criticism. I have captured bad driving on car parks where someone has scraped another car trying to park and then tried to leave the scene, my footage then gets handed to the person who's car has been damaged. They can then best use the evidence to assist a criminal investigation or insurance claim.
Good Practices
As a Close Protection Operator I would like to share some knowledge that can be used to make your driving experiences less stressful.
Route Planning | Prepare your route in advance | Check traffic reports
Check your vehicle over | Clear screens | Supplies | Seat position | Fuel levels
When your journey begins make sure your Central Locking is ON
Some vehicles can be set to central lock at a certain speed
Make sure you are comfortable, alert and your phone is setup as your need it
Allow plenty of time for your journey so as to avoid traffic and road work delays
Plan for a calm journey
Check fuel prices at your destination, worth filling up if it is cheaper
Once your phone is set up avoid using it on your journey unless your are parked up
Enjoy the driving experience
At home or in work, park your car in a locked garage or a secure parking area. If neither of these is an option, leave your vehicle where it can be seen by the general public. Try to park in a well-lit area, within view of a CCTV camera or in a staffed car park. When leaving your vehicle, ensure that the windows are closed and it is fully locked and secure. When you return be alert to any visual changes to your vehicle. This could be suspicious objects, damage or debris around your vehicle. Never leave valuables on display in your vehicle, no matter how long you are away from it. When in a public space try to keep your Dash Camera recording at all times by utilising a charged Power Bank.
