Years ago I had written a column on how
to sit in a car. How to hold the steering, the 10 o'clock - 2 o'clock position, how
to hold the gear shift lever and more.
My friend who is s golfer, called to
ask the importance of these points I had mentioned.
Well, I had the answers. My Dad was a
golfer and I would watch him kit-up. Glove only on one hand to grip and
control the club. Thumb of left hand snuggled under the right hand. And so on.
There is a definite science to this.
A tennis or squash player will have
no idea how to hold a golf club.
The same applies to sitting in a car
and how to sit properly and handle the controls.
Most people just get and sit in the
drivers seat. That’s it! No! There is much more to it, like seat back upright
for the seat belt to be effective. Also, without the seat belt the air bag can
be a killer not a saviour.
Here is something that can be a life
saver and we had no knowledge of it. It is called the Dutch Reach.
A friend had returned from a motoring
trip to Europe. The person who rented him the car gave him this advice on safe
motoring and said it was highly recommended. He also cautioned about keeping
the ORVMs open and properly adjusted. It is the law in Europe. Keeping rear
view mirrors closed will invite a fine.
“I was in India last year and no one
uses their rear view mirrors. Don’t do that here!”
It is the law here in India but like
all good drivers we have scant value for such laws! Their value? They prevent
accidents, they save lives.
The manoeuvre is so simple and easy
that it should be made a part of the Driver’s Manual. It is called The Dutch
Reach. I think it will never be part of the Driver’s Manual but there is no
reason that you, in the interest of your personal safety, should not
incorporate it in your regular Driver’s Drill.
It is a safety habit taught in the
Netherlands, hence the name ‘The Dutch Reach’. In the video I received from a policeman
in the South, he referred to it as ‘dooring’, same thing but now it has an
Indian flavour.
In India we drive on the left hand
side of the road, or should drive on the left hand side of the road, most of
the time we don’t.
So you drive on the left and sit on
the right. So far so good! You have an ORVM on the door on the driver’s side.
It must be kept open at all times. It is like having eyes on the back of your
head. You know in advance what is going to smack you!
Normally what happens is that the
driver reaches for the door opener latch with his right hand. Of course he does
not check the outside mirror. He opens the door a bit and has to quickly close
it to prevent someone running into it. Such collisions are frequent. It would
not happen if you checked the ORVM before opening the door.
Now to the ‘Dutch Reach’. This is the
move that will make your exit from the car safe.
First check the ORVM, this is a must.
If no vehicle is approaching, only then reach for the door opening latch with
the LEFT HAND.
The left hand is farthest from the
door and to make this move you are obliged to twist your body. When your hand
is on the latch, your body is already geared to exit. Check the ORVM again. A
fast moving vehicle may have caught up with your stationary car. All clear? Now
open the door and step out safely.
This simple and easy change is the
procedure for exiting the car has increased your Safety Quotient many fold.
It will save a lot of accidents that
result from carelessness. And remember to keep both ORVMs open.
In some countries when you go for a
driver’s test, the car is parked in a box painted on the tarmac.
At the end of the test you are
required to park the car by reversing into the box. There may be a few traffic
cones to help you reverse.
You are required to reverse using the
ORVM. If you turn and twist your head, you fail!