Death on the road

PRE-READING:

What advice would you give a friend about riding a motorbike safely? Write down some ideas.

Ex: Wear a helmet.

WHILE READING:

Set a time limit to read this article. An average reader can read at the speed of 250 words per minute. Note down your reading speed regularly to check your progress.

SKIMMING:

Within the time limit, read and summarize the main ideas of the paragraphs with your own words. Do not worry about unfamiliar vocabulary.

DEATH ON THE ROADS

Recently road traffic accidents have been in the news again. Statistics released by the Traffic Police show that during the 4 day holiday for 30 April /1 May 2011, 172 people died in traffic accidents in Vietnam. Yet, most of these accidents are preventable. With a little care and attention, we do not need to die. Here are some tips for safe motorbike riding.

Always wear a helmet

Wear a helmet. When riding a motorbike your head is your most vulnerable part. Make sure you buy a good quality helmet. Always wear it with the chin strap fastened. Passengers must wear a helmet too, regardless of age.

Keep your motorbike well-maintained. In particular, make sure that the tyres are in good condition and inflated to the correct pressure, and that the brakes are working well.

Watch your speed. Statistics show that excessive speed is a factor in a large number of accidents. Do not exceed the speed limit. Reduce speed when road conditions become more hazardous, for example in heavy traffic or rain.

Keep your distance. Keep enough distance from the vehicle in front to allow you to stop safely. A minimum distance of two seconds is recommended for safe driving.

Be aware when you ride. Use the ‘SEE’ system:

Search – always look around you for possible dangers

Evaluate – decide how serious the danger is

Execute – make a manoeuvre to avoid the danger

Head check. Use your mirrors to keep an eye on the road situation behind you. Always check behind you just before changing direction to make sure there is nothing in the way.

Take special care at intersections. Always obey traffic lights, even if the road looks clear. Look both ways when crossing the intersection. Watch out for other riders who may not obey the traffic lights.

Let road users know what you are doing. Drive in a straight line. Give clear signals in good time before you turn right or left. Stop gradually whenever possible.

Never drink and drive. Even a little alcohol can affect your driving. If you are going to enjoy some beer, have a friend who is not drinking drive you or go by taxi. When driving at night, be careful of drivers who may be drunk. Their driving may be unpredictable. Give them a wide berth.

Word count: 383 words

SCANNING:

Look at the advice you wrote down in the pre-reading stage. Tick the ideas which were the same as those in the article.

POST-READING:

Glossary:

Pay attention to how the word is combined with other words in context. Do not learn the meaning of the word without sentences. Vietnamese should be the last resort after you have tried all the learning strategies.

• Preventable (adj): can be avoided or stopped (Có thể phòng tránh)

• Vulnerable (adj): easily hurt or damaged (Dể tổn thương)

• Strap (noun): a long thin strip used to tie something (Dải băng)

• Regardless (of) (adv): no matter what (Bất kể)

• Well-maintained (compound adj): kept in good condition (Được bảo quản tốt)

• Inflated (past participle): filled with air (Bơm đầy hơi)

• Pressure (noun): force produced by gas in a small space (Áp lực)

• Brake (noun): something used to stop a vehicle (Phanh, thắng)

• Excessive (adj): too much (Quá mức)

• Factor (noun): cause (Nguyên nhân)

• To exceed (verb): go over (Vượt mức)

• Hazardous (adj): risky or dangerous (Nguy hiểm)

• To search (verb): look for (Tìm kiếm)

• To evaluate (verb): judge how important something is (Đánh giá)

• To execute (verb): do, make something happen (Thực hiện)

• Manoeuvre (noun): a particular movement (Thao tác)

• To keep an eye on (idiom): to watch (Chú ý)

• Intersection (noun): crossroads, road junction (Giao lộ)

• To give somebody a wide berth (idiom): to avoid someone (Tránh xa)

Discussion:

Find a study friend to summarize your story. Try to use the vocabulary learned in the article in speaking and writing your summary. Talk about the advice. Do you agree with it? Do you follow it?

This material is provided by the Australian Centre for Education and Training (ACET).