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Show Some Back Seat Driving Can Be a Good Thing Some back seat driving can be a good thing and may help prevent a bad accident. If back seat driving is done with prudence and tact, says Leo H. Barlow, Utah Safety Council's Vice President for Traffic, it can help the driver and reduce the chances of a road accident the next time the family makes a trip by auto. The most important service you can perform as a back seat driver, he says, is to provide the man behind the wheel with an extra pair of eyes, handle map reading, and be alert for highway markers and traffic signals. One important sign both the driver and his back seat helper should be alert for and always obey by reducing speed is the round railroad advance warning warn-ing sign, Barlow said. The physical characteristics of many rural grade crossings make it imperative that speed be reduced so that a stop may safely be made at the crossing cross-ing if a train is approaching. He said that at diagonal crossings, where it may be difficult dif-ficult to see an approaching train, reduced speed is necessary neces-sary for safety. "Even more dangerous are the crossings in rolling country coun-try where the railroad, in order or-der to maintain ininimum grades, grad-es, has excavated the right of way, developing many earthen cuts which in some instances partially or entirely screen the oncoming train from view," Barlow said. "As most such crossings do not have mechanical mechan-ical warning devices, warning of approaching trains, the crossing hazard is materially increased." Barlow listed the following as other valuable chores a good back seat driver should perform: per-form: 1. See that all doors are locked lock-ed and all passengers keep their hands and arms inside. 2. Keep track of time. Be sure the driver gets a rest stop every two hours or so. 3. See that safety belts are fastened. They keep children from roaming and distracting the driver. |
