Defensive driving is simply driving in such a way as to prevent accidents in spite of the actions of others, or the presence of adverse road conditions. It all involves having to drive in a way to save lives, time and money.
To be able to drive defensively, you need to be familiar with some rules and also be willing to obey these rules.
1.Be safety conscious: You have to think of your safety and that of others
a.Avoid the tendency to over speed, because it puts everyone’s life in danger, including yours.
b.Put on your seat belt always: This reduces the danger of hitting your chest on the steering wheel should there be an accident.
c.Make sure your doors are locked, to avoid being forcefully thrown out of the car incase of an accident.
d.Maintain a safe distance between you and the car in front of you, there should be at least 2-3 seconds gap between the two of you.
2.See the hazard ahead: You should not assume everything is going to be alright. Think about what is likely to happen the next second.
a.Reduce your speed in residential areas: It should be between 30-40km/hr or slower.
b.Watch out for drivers that may wander into your lane and avoid them.
c.Use your mirror to see if any driver behind you is driving in an unsafe or aggressive manner. Pull out of the road to avoid such driver.
d.Watch very well before crossing the traffic light, even though you have been by the green light, because some drivers may disobey or refuse to stop at the junction even when the red light is on.
3.Understand the defense: Specific situation require specific ways to take care of them. Be aware of the unusual conditions that you may come across, and think of how to overcome them when there is need.
a.Reduce your speed if it starts to rain, because it takes twice the normal stopping distance to stop with safety on a wet road.
b.Your safe distance to follow the vehicle in front of you should then be twice the normal rule of 2 or 3 seconds; increase it to 4 or 6 seconds.
c.To avoid broadside skid, take your foot off the accelerator and turn into the skid.
d.If your foot brake fails while descending a hill, change to a lower gear and if necessary, apply your hand brake to stop your car from gaining speed.
e.When you approach a slippery surface, sharp bend, cross roads, or any other hazard, you should check your rear view mirror and give the slowing down signal. Reduce your speed, change to a lower gear, sound the horn if necessary or stop, until it is safe to proceed.
4.Avoid distractions: You should remain focused, and don’t allow anything to distract your attention. Your safety and safety of others should be the only thing that should occupy your mind.
a.Don’t argue or talk with passengers while you are on the steering.
b.Don’t make or take calls while you drive, it could distract you.
c.Don’t let the music in your car to be too noisy; excessive noise makes you lose concentration.
d.Don’t focus your attention on people by the side of the road, or on other side attractions.
e.Remai focused on the road, vehicles ahead, and watch out for anyone who may want to cross the road.
f.Don’t eat or drink while you are on the steering; park your car and eat, or eat at the end of your journey.
g. Don’t quarrel with anybody while you drive; this could make you angry and lose concentration.
5.Maintain clarity of mind
a.Don’t drink alcohol if you must drive; its reduces your sense of judgment.
b.Don’t drive under the influence of any substance.
c.Don’t use some prescribed or over-the-counter drugs because they make you drowsy or reduce your reaction time.
d.Don’t drive after receiving a very bad news .e.g. the news of the death of a close friend or spouse.
6.Understand static hazards: Static hazards are conditions of the road or traffic that are always there e.g. round about, junction, bend, dead ground, hill, bridge etc.
a.Give way to the vehicle on your left when you get to a round about.
b.On getting to a road junction, slow down, stop and allow the vehicle on the straight road to pass first, if you are on the road that intercepts the minor one.
c.Never overtake on a bend, because you may not see any oncoming vehicle
d.Never overtake on a hill, bridge or major road junctions.
7.Back safely: You should not endanger the lives of others while trying to back, because backing could be difficult sometimes.
a.You may get out of the car and inspect the area you want to back into.
b.You may also have someone outside, that should guide you into position
c.Sound the horn several times if your vehicle does not have reverse alarm
d.Check side mirrors, and back slowly: keep checking your mirror as you back.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Cigarette Smoking; Is It Worth The Risk?
Jackson soon became a chronic cigarette smoker and refused to heed the advice of his friends to quit the dangerous practice. He felt he was enjoying, and above all he saw his friends as people who were not sociable. He concluded he had the right to do whatever pleased him, and to take whatever gave him satisfaction.
Jackson was a promising Youngman; he was the only son of his parents (he had six sisters), and so he was over pampered, and he got whatever he wanted. Being the only male child, his parents felt he should not be deprived of anything that gave him happiness; he exploited this privilege to his own detriment.
He was academically brilliant, sociable and studious, but he was stubborn and spoilt child. He loved sports (especially football and swimming), and he joined his local football team at a very tender age as a striker. He even played for his secondary school team, where he captained them to win the principal’s cup.
Soon Jackson began to associate with bad friends and started to smoke different brands of cigarette. He started with one or two sticks a day; but later graduated to smoking several sticks to several packets a day. His friends tried to advise him to stop, noting that nicotine would harm his health. But he refused to take their advice: he gave several excuses as to why he would not be able to quit. He even said he could not eat well, go to toilet, feel relaxed, concentrate to read or even think straight without it.
He continued to smoke and nothing happened to him; but in his second year in the university, he suddenly discovered he could no longer breathe very well each time he played football. Initially he had mistaken it for the effect of the dry weather; but things soon began to get worse. He got tired with little exertion and also began to cough slightly. Within a short time, he had started coughing seriously, producing mucopurulent sputum. He began also to feel a sharp pain in the thoracic region. His appetite depreciated and, he began to lose weight. He could no longer play football, his popular game.
His parents eventually took him to see the doctor, and after some tests were conducted and x-ray taken, the doctor broke the sad news to his parents. “I am afraid, your son has got cancer of the lungs”, the doctor told his parents. They were devastated by the news. The mother collapsed and was rushed into the emergency ward where she was revived. Jackson had only few months to live; he died six months after the diagnosis. His dreams of becoming a professional footballer and a medical doctor all died with him.
He was his parents’ hope, the only male child that should sustain the family name. The parents could not bear the heart break; the mother’s blood pressure soon began to rise because of the mental and psychological trauma she went through. Two years after Jackson’s death, his mother also died.
Cigarette smoking could destroy one’s dream and vision. It could shorten one’s life and bring pains to one’s family and friends. Is the risk you take with your life really worth it? You must abstain from it and resist the temptation to smoke, because once you give in to it, you may be hooked for life.
Jackson was a promising Youngman; he was the only son of his parents (he had six sisters), and so he was over pampered, and he got whatever he wanted. Being the only male child, his parents felt he should not be deprived of anything that gave him happiness; he exploited this privilege to his own detriment.
He was academically brilliant, sociable and studious, but he was stubborn and spoilt child. He loved sports (especially football and swimming), and he joined his local football team at a very tender age as a striker. He even played for his secondary school team, where he captained them to win the principal’s cup.
Soon Jackson began to associate with bad friends and started to smoke different brands of cigarette. He started with one or two sticks a day; but later graduated to smoking several sticks to several packets a day. His friends tried to advise him to stop, noting that nicotine would harm his health. But he refused to take their advice: he gave several excuses as to why he would not be able to quit. He even said he could not eat well, go to toilet, feel relaxed, concentrate to read or even think straight without it.
He continued to smoke and nothing happened to him; but in his second year in the university, he suddenly discovered he could no longer breathe very well each time he played football. Initially he had mistaken it for the effect of the dry weather; but things soon began to get worse. He got tired with little exertion and also began to cough slightly. Within a short time, he had started coughing seriously, producing mucopurulent sputum. He began also to feel a sharp pain in the thoracic region. His appetite depreciated and, he began to lose weight. He could no longer play football, his popular game.
His parents eventually took him to see the doctor, and after some tests were conducted and x-ray taken, the doctor broke the sad news to his parents. “I am afraid, your son has got cancer of the lungs”, the doctor told his parents. They were devastated by the news. The mother collapsed and was rushed into the emergency ward where she was revived. Jackson had only few months to live; he died six months after the diagnosis. His dreams of becoming a professional footballer and a medical doctor all died with him.
He was his parents’ hope, the only male child that should sustain the family name. The parents could not bear the heart break; the mother’s blood pressure soon began to rise because of the mental and psychological trauma she went through. Two years after Jackson’s death, his mother also died.
Cigarette smoking could destroy one’s dream and vision. It could shorten one’s life and bring pains to one’s family and friends. Is the risk you take with your life really worth it? You must abstain from it and resist the temptation to smoke, because once you give in to it, you may be hooked for life.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Cigar: 9 Reasons Why We Should Not Smoke It
Cigar is dangerous to health and so it should be avoided, as smoking it does not only pose a threat to the health of the user; it also threatens the life of the passive smoker (one who inhales the smoke from what another person is smoking).
Cigar is the roll of dried Tobacco leaves, which people smoke like cigarette. It is usually bigger than cigarette and it is not wrapped with paper. The danger it poses to human health is the same as that posed by cigarette since they both contain tar, Nicotine and several other impurities. The danger it poses to health far outweighs its benefits, if any.
Cigar must be avoided if you must enjoy optimum health and last long. Some of the reasons why it must be avoided include:
Chronic Bronchitis: Cigar causes chronic bronchitis (chronic inflammation of the bronchi). The poisonous substances it contains weaken the cilia in the upper respiratory tract, thereby exposing the individual to repeated respiratory tract infections. With time the infections spread to the bronchi, causing acute bronchitis. When this is not well managed, chronic bronchitis results.
Emphysema: Pulmonary emphysema occurs as a result of repeated respiratory diseases; it leads to abnormal distension of the alveoli, and subsequently to the formation of bullae on the lung surface, following the breakdown of the intervening walls of the alveoli. The individual experiences breathlessness and this could get worse on exertion.
Lung cancer: the chemicals in the cigar alter the cell structure of the lungs thereby leading to the development of lung cancer. Once this condition is diagnosed, the individual does not usually last for more than 2 years. He experiences severe pains in the chest region, breathlessness, extreme tiredness and some times cough.
Stroke: Cigar smoking usually worsens an already existing arteriosclerosis. The tiny blood vessels in the brain could be ruptured as blood forces its way through them. When this happens, the individual suffers from stroke or apoplexy, with loss of sensation or paralysis of the opposite side of the body to the lesion.
Mouth and Throat cancer: Chemicals or hydrocarbons in Tobacco also lead to cancer of the lips, cheek, tongue and larynx. Surgical operation to remove those cancerous cells could lead to the damage of the vocal cord, producing loss of voice: they could also be disfiguring.
Heart disease: The poisonous substances in cigar can lead to heart disease such as pericarditis. Repeated respiratory infections and chronic bronchitis can also lead to congestive cardiac failure.
Gastric ulcer: Nicotine decreases mucus secretion in the GIT, and allows diffusion of acid to the mucus lining: and in turn lead to auto-digestion of the mucus lining. This auto digestion exposes more portion of the intestine to the effect of gastric acid and hydrochloric acid.
Cancer of the bladder: The chemical wastes from cigar are excreted through the kidneys. The urinary bladder acts as temporary storage tank for the urine containing these chemicals; and so with time, the bladder develops cancer.
Fetal risk: Smokers expose their unborn fetuses to the carbon monoxide produced from the incomplete combustion of tobacco. Carbon monoxide in turn reduces oxygen and haemoglobin supplied to the foetus, thereby leading to poor development and low weight, as well as increasing the risk of premature birth and intra-uterine death.
One has to completely avoid the use of cigar if one is to escape from the afore-mentioned dangers. Non-smokers must also protect themselves by running away from smokers, in order to escape from the effects of secondary smoking. Remember that most health ministries now warn that “smokers are liable to die young.”
Cigar is the roll of dried Tobacco leaves, which people smoke like cigarette. It is usually bigger than cigarette and it is not wrapped with paper. The danger it poses to human health is the same as that posed by cigarette since they both contain tar, Nicotine and several other impurities. The danger it poses to health far outweighs its benefits, if any.
Cigar must be avoided if you must enjoy optimum health and last long. Some of the reasons why it must be avoided include:
Chronic Bronchitis: Cigar causes chronic bronchitis (chronic inflammation of the bronchi). The poisonous substances it contains weaken the cilia in the upper respiratory tract, thereby exposing the individual to repeated respiratory tract infections. With time the infections spread to the bronchi, causing acute bronchitis. When this is not well managed, chronic bronchitis results.
Emphysema: Pulmonary emphysema occurs as a result of repeated respiratory diseases; it leads to abnormal distension of the alveoli, and subsequently to the formation of bullae on the lung surface, following the breakdown of the intervening walls of the alveoli. The individual experiences breathlessness and this could get worse on exertion.
Lung cancer: the chemicals in the cigar alter the cell structure of the lungs thereby leading to the development of lung cancer. Once this condition is diagnosed, the individual does not usually last for more than 2 years. He experiences severe pains in the chest region, breathlessness, extreme tiredness and some times cough.
Stroke: Cigar smoking usually worsens an already existing arteriosclerosis. The tiny blood vessels in the brain could be ruptured as blood forces its way through them. When this happens, the individual suffers from stroke or apoplexy, with loss of sensation or paralysis of the opposite side of the body to the lesion.
Mouth and Throat cancer: Chemicals or hydrocarbons in Tobacco also lead to cancer of the lips, cheek, tongue and larynx. Surgical operation to remove those cancerous cells could lead to the damage of the vocal cord, producing loss of voice: they could also be disfiguring.
Heart disease: The poisonous substances in cigar can lead to heart disease such as pericarditis. Repeated respiratory infections and chronic bronchitis can also lead to congestive cardiac failure.
Gastric ulcer: Nicotine decreases mucus secretion in the GIT, and allows diffusion of acid to the mucus lining: and in turn lead to auto-digestion of the mucus lining. This auto digestion exposes more portion of the intestine to the effect of gastric acid and hydrochloric acid.
Cancer of the bladder: The chemical wastes from cigar are excreted through the kidneys. The urinary bladder acts as temporary storage tank for the urine containing these chemicals; and so with time, the bladder develops cancer.
Fetal risk: Smokers expose their unborn fetuses to the carbon monoxide produced from the incomplete combustion of tobacco. Carbon monoxide in turn reduces oxygen and haemoglobin supplied to the foetus, thereby leading to poor development and low weight, as well as increasing the risk of premature birth and intra-uterine death.
One has to completely avoid the use of cigar if one is to escape from the afore-mentioned dangers. Non-smokers must also protect themselves by running away from smokers, in order to escape from the effects of secondary smoking. Remember that most health ministries now warn that “smokers are liable to die young.”
Friday, June 11, 2010
5 Reasons Why You Should Not Do Drugs
A young man was arrested by the police and was taken to the emergency ward of a hospital, after he knocked down an 18years old girl with his power bike, and suffered multiple injuries himself. I watch as he tried to resist police arrest. He struggled and yelled at the top of his voice, bleeding from wounds on his left brow, forehead, right ankle, knees and left forearm.
It took the effort of five able bodied policemen to bundle him into the waiting police van. He kicked and cursed as he was taken to the nearest hospital; he was actually bleeding profusely from the left brow and needed to be taken to the hospital fast. I followed the police van on a motor bike; I needed to see what happened at the hospital as the young man’s behaviour was completely strange to me.
On arrival at the hospital, another drama ensued: the patient refused to come down from the van. He held on to one of the poles by the side of the vehicle. The policemen tried all the tricks they knew to get him down from the vehicle, all to no avail. He eventually grew weaker and began to faint before they could get him into the emergency ward. He was given an anaesthesia before the doctor and nurses could stitch his wounds.
The following day I paid him a visit, only to meet a very sober person showing some signs of depression. He was completely disappointed at himself: he admitted he was under the influence of drugs. He realized that he would have died because of his stupid acts if not because of the police.
Why should you not do drugs?
You should never do drugs because if you do, you are likely to encounter one of these problems:
1.You are not in charge of your actions: Drugs would make you not be in charge of your senses and actions. You would lose your reasoning power and do things that would likely endanger your life.
2.You are prone to crimes: Drugs could push you to commit crimes like stealing, rape, murder etc.
3.Regret: Doing drugs brings a life of regret: you will definitely realize one day that you have done what you never intended to do, and when that happens your life would be filled with disappointments and regrets. For example, if you raped a girl or committed murder under the influence of drugs, you would live to regret your action for the rest of your life.
4.Adaptation problem: Becoming addicted to substances would make it difficult for you to adapt to normal way of life, as you are likely to depend on these substances in order to carry out normal daily activities such as sleeping, relaxing, toileting, digesting food etc.
5.Poverty: it is difficult to become rich when you do drugs, because you are going to spend a bulk of the money that you get on purchasing those drugs and substances. Since there is always a compulsion to take the substances, you are likely to spend a huge proportion of your earnings on substances, and in the long run you suffer poverty.
It took the effort of five able bodied policemen to bundle him into the waiting police van. He kicked and cursed as he was taken to the nearest hospital; he was actually bleeding profusely from the left brow and needed to be taken to the hospital fast. I followed the police van on a motor bike; I needed to see what happened at the hospital as the young man’s behaviour was completely strange to me.
On arrival at the hospital, another drama ensued: the patient refused to come down from the van. He held on to one of the poles by the side of the vehicle. The policemen tried all the tricks they knew to get him down from the vehicle, all to no avail. He eventually grew weaker and began to faint before they could get him into the emergency ward. He was given an anaesthesia before the doctor and nurses could stitch his wounds.
The following day I paid him a visit, only to meet a very sober person showing some signs of depression. He was completely disappointed at himself: he admitted he was under the influence of drugs. He realized that he would have died because of his stupid acts if not because of the police.
Why should you not do drugs?
You should never do drugs because if you do, you are likely to encounter one of these problems:
1.You are not in charge of your actions: Drugs would make you not be in charge of your senses and actions. You would lose your reasoning power and do things that would likely endanger your life.
2.You are prone to crimes: Drugs could push you to commit crimes like stealing, rape, murder etc.
3.Regret: Doing drugs brings a life of regret: you will definitely realize one day that you have done what you never intended to do, and when that happens your life would be filled with disappointments and regrets. For example, if you raped a girl or committed murder under the influence of drugs, you would live to regret your action for the rest of your life.
4.Adaptation problem: Becoming addicted to substances would make it difficult for you to adapt to normal way of life, as you are likely to depend on these substances in order to carry out normal daily activities such as sleeping, relaxing, toileting, digesting food etc.
5.Poverty: it is difficult to become rich when you do drugs, because you are going to spend a bulk of the money that you get on purchasing those drugs and substances. Since there is always a compulsion to take the substances, you are likely to spend a huge proportion of your earnings on substances, and in the long run you suffer poverty.
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