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Driver Safety
Just a public service announcement. As I listening to Czech Radio 1, it was time for their daily feature "Motojournal." All the news about the roads. Today a panel of experts--doctors, driving instructors, traffic watchers--was discussing the problem of 'wearing a winter jacket behind the wheel.'
See, we have had relatively cold temps the last couple weeks - below zero. So some people are, understandably I would think, wearing their winter jackets while driving. A grave problem indeed.
The doctor says: Be sure to readjust your seat ahead of time so that you don't hurt your back by chance. There is less space in your seat when you are wearing a winter jacket.
The driving instructor: You should not wear a winter jacket while driving because it may hamper your movements and reactions should a mishap occur. I never let my students drive with them on.
Traffic watchers: If you have a new car, then it is no problem because it will warm up after a few minutes and you will not want your jacket anymore. If you have an old car, well then you'll have more of a problem.
I just can't help but wonder - are there not more important winter driving issues that should be discussed!! Obviously the atrocious downtown parking situations are not addressed by the instructors - "Park wheree'er you please." The cars going too fast on badly maintained winter streets are not a danger to anyone. Passing street trams going uphill on blind corners is fine. Certainly, the most pressing problem is the winter jacket.
The doctor closed with some consolation for those with old cars. "In any case wear a winter hat when you are driving in cold weather because this will not impair your driving."
See, we have had relatively cold temps the last couple weeks - below zero. So some people are, understandably I would think, wearing their winter jackets while driving. A grave problem indeed.
The doctor says: Be sure to readjust your seat ahead of time so that you don't hurt your back by chance. There is less space in your seat when you are wearing a winter jacket.
The driving instructor: You should not wear a winter jacket while driving because it may hamper your movements and reactions should a mishap occur. I never let my students drive with them on.
Traffic watchers: If you have a new car, then it is no problem because it will warm up after a few minutes and you will not want your jacket anymore. If you have an old car, well then you'll have more of a problem.
I just can't help but wonder - are there not more important winter driving issues that should be discussed!! Obviously the atrocious downtown parking situations are not addressed by the instructors - "Park wheree'er you please." The cars going too fast on badly maintained winter streets are not a danger to anyone. Passing street trams going uphill on blind corners is fine. Certainly, the most pressing problem is the winter jacket.
The doctor closed with some consolation for those with old cars. "In any case wear a winter hat when you are driving in cold weather because this will not impair your driving."
Posted 16 January 2006 at 13:16.
A graduate student in music and anthropology writing a dissertation about music in Moravia, the eastern third of the Czech Republic. At some point, the Czech Republic's "second city" (that would be Brno) captured my attention, and I've since been blogging about events, arts, music, and other stuff—basically whatever interests me in and around the cityscape. I'm not living in Brno now, but I keep up with the cultural pulse from afar as best I can.
Comments:
Well, now you know how to advise your family on driving here. Make sure the driver removes excess clothing. I suppose the rest of the gang had better as well, or there will be disagreement for miles about how high to turn up the heat.
Perhaps drivers should wear leotards instead of regular clothing. This would ensure that they would be as flexible as their joints permit. On the other hand, this might prompt excess distraction, as each limb becomes involved in some unrelated activity on the sole grounds that this is now possible.
In fact, perhaps the winner of Mistr Brno was dressed to drive. He was, after all, wearing a warm cap.
11:26 PM, January 16, 2006
Did they make any recommendations about driving gloves? A do or a don't?
12:15 AM, January 17, 2006
I would be more concerned about the person driving the car that was listening to this program. You just know that a listener wearing a coat got worried, hurriedly tried to remove her coat, and ran off the road into a someone's yard crushing precious yard gnomes.
2:52 AM, January 17, 2006
Gnome safety, I hadn't thought about that. There are so many things to worry about. Then again, I think most garden gnomes are behind fencing.
This brings to mind a long-ago incident from a visit to friends in Rakovník who are ardent photographers. While on the obligatory walk around town, we came across some gnomes sequestered behind a high fence, so our friends suggested that photos of gnomes in prison would be quite the thing. I don't think I had my camera along that day.
10:44 PM, January 17, 2006
Perhaps we should reconsider our selected wardrobe for the trip.
3:24 AM, January 20, 2006
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