As it currently stands South Australia is above the national average, but in a category in which we should be last – road fatalities. South Australia is on track to have the worst year since 2007 for road fatalities. 

Right now we have lost an average of 10 lives each month on SA roads, compared to last years figure of between 6 and 7 each month. A recent report by the RAA shows “that South Australia currently has a road fatality rate of 5.23 per 100,000 population, placing it above the national rate of 4.67 and significantly above Victoria, which is the state with the lowest road fatality rate of 3.63 per 100,000 population.”

So how can we make our roads safer?

It’s winter (but you’ve noticed that already) and as such visibility can be an issue. Try these easy, and free tips for helping you see more clearly when on the roads this winter.

Demisting your windscreen

You’ve seen it before. You get into the car and within five minutes you can’t see the bonnet due to the mist on the inside of your windscreen. So what’s the best thing we can do about it?

1. Turn the heater ON! – by setting the heater to blow directly onto the windscreen you’ll warm the windows to above dew point.
2. Turn the A/C ON! – This works well because the air conditioning function doesn’t actually cool the air as much as it removes the moisture from the air. The drier the air, the less fog on the windscreen.
3. DON’T hit the recirculate button – You’ll heat the car faster, but you’ll be reusing the “wet” air, making it harder to demist.
4. OPEN a window – obviously, if it’s not raining, this will simply speed up the drying process.

Check your blades

Having fresh windscreen wiper blades will ensure you can have the clearest vision possible in the rain. During the warmer months we tend to use our windscreen wipers with very little water. When this happens it’s common to get dust, dirt, and pollen under the rubber which can scratch the glass, making it harder to see.

Lights ON!

Turning your lights on when driving to and from work, not only allows you to see a little bit better, but also more importantly allows you to be seen by other road users. These days most cars are fitted with automatic lights which are activated when a small sensor at the bottom of your dashboard, close to the windscreen is covered, or cannot sense light. To avoid having to manually turn your lights on every time you drive set them to auto. 99% of cars with this feature will turn your lights off when you turn the car off, saving your battery.