There’s an old saying that ‘familiarity breeds contempt’. If you drive the same route on a regular basis, perhaps to and from work, taking the kids to soccer practice, or visiting an elderly relative, then adapting the saying to ‘familiarity breeds complacency’ might be worthwhile. Another expression for the monotony of regular route driving might be ‘the same-old, same-old’.
But conditions are always changing
The danger is drivers switch off to such changes during the journey. This might be unexpected roadworks, damage to the road surface, or a tree fall after a storm blows through. There may also be a sudden traffic queue where none has ever happened before. There might be diversions in place bringing traffic from elsewhere onto your regular route in places that are usually virtually deserted.
And pedestrians simply can’t be trusted!
However often you drive a certain route in perfect safety, there is nothing to say that, next time, a young kid might not chase a ball out into the street, or a mobile phone user may step out without paying due care and attention. It’s important to keep a wary eye on such possibilities, understanding that, although they could happen at any time, there may also be busier parts of your journey where such dangers might be more likely.
Regular route actions to take and avoid
The first is not to take your vehicle for granted, especially for short, regular journeys. It can be easy, over a period of time, to forget to check windscreen wipers and wash, not to test brakes or check tyre tread levels. When driving in familiar surroundings, it can be easy to fall into a habit of checking rearview mirrors less frequently. And it’s not unknown for a driver to use them to check their appearance instead – especially at the start of a regular journey!
It makes sense to imagine that you are travelling a regular route for the first time – and concentrate as you would on such an occasion. It’s amazing what people can fail to notice when they take a journey for granted.
If a not your fault accident still happens
Even taking full care, you sometimes fall foul of the actions of other road uses. Imagine you have been the victim of an accident where you are not at fault, and your vehicle is headed for the repair shop. One piece of positive news – under Australian law, you are entitled to an accident replacement car – one that’s as similar as possible in size and style to your own. The at-fault driver’s insurance company are responsible for picking up the bill.
Keep the number for our Not My Fault team in your mobile device – it’s 1800699034. If the above then happens to you, call our experienced operatives as soon as possible to find out how we can help…
