Road Safety and its Importance

Introduction
In today’s era, road accidents are rampant. However, death rates have dropped significantly due to improvements in automotive technology. However, there are many potential road hazards that can cause injury or even death. Potential hazards can range from improper behavior to road dynamics or even poor infrastructure. Behaviors such as drunk driving, exceeding speed limits and reckless driving contribute significantly to road accidents. Additionally, ignoring traffic signs that provide important information, such as intersections or crossroads, can also be the leading cause of car accidents. Vehicle maintenance also plays an important role in road safety. For example, many automobile accidents are the result of tire blowouts, which occur when tires are inflated and exceed their useful life.

In some cases, environmental factors such as rain, fog, or smog can hinder visibility, which is known to cause traffic accidents. Other factors such as rain can cause a phenomenon called aquaplaning, in which vehicles traveling at high speed begin to slide uncontrollably because the tires are pushed off the ground by a thin film of water on the road.
Road safety encompasses the methods used to prevent road users from being injured or killed. Common road users are motorists, vehicle passengers, cyclists, and passengers of public transport vehicles such as buses.

Factors that are responsible for causing road accidents
Road safety becomes the main concern with the increase in number of mass-manufactured vehicles. Every year, people die when they or others fail to comply with various road safety measures. There are countless factors that are responsible for causing road accidents. The most responsible are
1. High speed driving/ Rash driving
2. Wrong side driving of the vehicle on the road
3. Overtaking
4. Use of mobile phones
5. Driving drunk
6. Ignoring important road signs
7. Poor maintenance of the vehicles
8. Sleepiness

Sometimes there are other environmental factors that can cause traffic accidents. The design of some roads requires careful navigation, failing which; the road user can crash the vehicle and cause serious injury or death. Even a traffic device, such as a traffic light, can potentially malfunction and cause accidents. Poor infrastructure planning can also cause traffic accidents, such as roads with trees along sidewalks. Hitting a car into a tree produces so much energy; and all this energy is transferred to the driver and passenger of the car, resulting in injury or even death.
Some environmental factors are also believed to cause a potential risk. Rain and fog are the main disturbing factors affecting traffic. Fog causes visibility problems which can lead to accidents. Smog, which is produced as a result of anthropogenic activities, also has risk factors similar to those of fog. A combination of rain and high speeds can cause vehicles to spin out of control, resulting in serious injury or death.

Another factor that disturbs road safety is the use of cell phones while driving; the last thing a driver has to deal with is getting distracted. Even a second of distraction can cause a life-threatening situation. Therefore, cell phones should never be used while driving. If the need to use the phone is unavoidable, pull over to the side of the road. This eliminates any risk associated with texting and driving.

Conclusion
In conclusion, following the rules of the road, avoiding excessive speeds, and improving general awareness can greatly reduce the risk of a road accident. Regular inspection of the vehicle’s condition and component maintenance also eliminates any potential risk. And most importantly, don’t use cell phones while driving.
Adequate measures should be taken by an individual like proper wearing of the seat belts, time to time service of the vehicle to avoid any risk during the long run. The driver should be educated enough to identify the roadside signboards to minimize the risk of accidents. The road safety rules should be followed strictly both by the people and the government agencies.
Furthermore, passengers should also be vigilant enough to check drivers when they are over speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol. Police can play a pivotal role to decrease the ratio of accidents. To sum up, there are many causes of road accidents in our world, with good strategies, and with the participation of both government and individuals; we can easily overcome this potential problem.