Car Parts and Accessories

A history of heart disease is in itself no barrier to driving. As a general rule, heart attacks give sufficient warning for the driver to pull up at the side of the road. No one should drive within three months of having suffered from an attack of coronary thrombosis.

Diabetes

In a mild case of diabetes, controlled by diet alone, there is no risk to driving. In more serious cases, however, the driver must ensure that his condition is well controlled, that he can recognise the symptoms of hypoglycaemia, and that he always carries emergency supplies of sugar or glucose in the car.

If a diabetic is taken ill on the road, he must leave the driving seat and remove the ignition key. Failure to do so entails risk of prosecution for being in charge of a car while under the influence of a drug, in this case, insulin.

Epilepsy

An epileptic can be issued with a driving licence only on production of proof that his illness is being treated by a doctor.

Deafness

In terms of the law, to suffer from deafness is no barrier to obtaining a driving licence. However, the deaf motorist is obviously at a disadvantage and must find ways to compensate for this hearing defect when he is on the road at the wheel of a car.

Vertigo

Anyone who suffers from temporary giddiness or balance defects should seek medical advice before attempting to drive any vehicle.

Migraine

The onset of the warning symptoms of a migraine attack, such as double vision or nausea, must not be ignored by the motorist. They are the signal for him to stop the car.

Mental disorders

Licensing authorities are empowered to grant driving licences to people suffering from mental disorders, provided they are satisfied that there will be no danger to the public.

Safety in the Car

Despite ongoing research and development by motor manufacturers into increased safety features for the modern motor .car, it still remains a potential source of injury or death for the unwary motorist. Did you know, for instance, that at the relatively slow speed of 60 km/h the vehicle and its occupants are travelling at almost 17 metres per second ? This means that:

• An alert driver has a reaction time of approximately 0,6 seconds; in other words, his car travels more than 10 metres before he is physically able to apply the brake.
• With normal brake efficiency on a dry road it takes a further 18 metres for the vehicle to stop–a total stopping distance of 28 metres.
• The occupants, plus anything carried in a car, travel at the same speed as the vehicle. In the event of an accident which stops or slows the vehicle, the occupants continue moving at the original speed of the vehicle.

It is this last factor that is responsible for most injuries in motor car accidents: your body continues to move forward until it strikes a solid object, usually the steering wheel, dashboard or windscreen. The best way to reduce injuries is to wear a seat belt —which is compulsory for drivers and front seat passengers in vehicles required to be fitted with seat belts. But remember:

• Your seat belt should fit snugly.
• The lap portion of the strap should fit low over the hips—not around the waist.

The most effective seat belt for everyday practical use is the lap diagonal combination.

Children in cars

Small children should never be allowed to stand on rear seats or to lie on the rear parcel shelf, Neither should they be allowed to lean against any windscreen. An average of 300
South African children under 14 are killed and 3 278 injured in motor accidents every year, over a third of them under four. A child should always be made to sit in the back, not as many people mistakenly think, in the arms of its mother in the passenger seat.

To ensure an infant’s safety, it should either be placed inside a carrycot secured to a component of the vehicle, or wedged between the front and rear backrests with cushions.

Small children should be firmly disciplined and made to sit on an appropriately cushioned floor between the front and rear seats or in a suitable child seat carrying the SA BS mark. Remember that young children have weak necks caused by the comparatively high mass of the head relative to the body.

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