Here are some tips geared especially towards mothers but useful to all motorists.

1. Keep speed at a safe level. The old adage, 'Speed Kills', is true, as speeding is a major contributor to fatal accidents.

2. Keep children under 12 in the back seat of the vehicle and always ensure that seat belts are utilised for all occupants of the vehicle, even for short journeys. Better to have a child crying ... but alive!

3. Child locks should be activated on rear doors of the vehicle to prevent children from opening same when the vehicle is either stopped or in motion.

4. Travelling in the back of an open cab pickup is never a good idea - especially for children.

5. Choose and use child seats carefully. Improper installation can render the best child seat - with impeccable safety features - useless.

6. Keep a small fire extinguisher inside your vehicle. Many huge fires could have been easily contained to the engine compartment if one were on hand.

7. Ensure, as far as possible, that children exit the vehicle using the sidewalk/roadside side of the vehicle (in most cases, this will be through the left hand rear door of the vehicle).

8. Take periodic breaks on long journeys, ensuring that stops are made at places considered safe to do so.

9. Refrain from driving with hot, uncovered beverages inside the vehicle, such as coffee.

10. Take extra care when closing doors, especially with small children around - look out for little fingers!

11. Restrict the usage of sharp or pointed objects which may serve as 'missiles' in the event of an accident.

12. Defensive driving techniques save lives also. The object is not to be 'right' but to be 'alive'! Confrontation on the roads is never smart and should be avoided if at all possible.

While it is true that many factors when driving are not within our direct control - such as actions of the other road users - we can at least address the factors that we can. If the tips outlined above, along with basic common sense, are utilised, it will no doubt be to the benefit of ourselves and our loved ones while travelling on the roads.

John Azar,

KingAlarm

Azar