Clearly avoiding drink driving and following important road rules applies to all the below situations. However different types of collisions also have their own unique features. Thus each shall be considered in turn.
Cars must look out for motorbikes- particularly if there is a glare or vehicles behind which a motorbike might emerge. Motorbike riders should make themselves as visible as possible particularly so that they are conspicuous from the front. This can include bright coloured clothing and motorbikes with large fronts. Motorbike riders must wear helmets. Both drivers should not to drink-drive.
Motorbike drivers should be properly trained so that they have adequate collision avoidance skills. Motorbike drivers must be particularly careful for about six months after getting a new bike. Riders must wear helmets. Riders must not drink-drive.
Car drivers must not drink drive. People must be aware of driver fatigue. Drivers should be particularly careful if they have gone for a long drive or haven't had much sleep. Drivers should avoid the use of mobile phones while they are driving - or anything that will distract them from the driving task.
People must not drink-drive. Be particularly careful in common accident situations Get people to urge the government to match speed limits with the speed of traffic flow. If speed limits are set significantly below the 85th percentile (ie. the speed at which 85% of free flowing traffic travels at or below) the risk of accidents increase because some cars drive at the speed limit and end up out of synch with the rest of the traffic. The lack of coordination with the rest of the traffic manifested by these 'moving road blocks' creates a dangerous situation. This difference in speeds is described as a 'speed differential' in the literature. Although setting speed limits significantly below the 85th percentile results in extra crashes it is not uncommon because it is a lucrative practice. The fact that raising (eg. eg. 55mph to 65mph) or abolishing speed limits always seems to result in a reduction in the death rate shows how common the dangerous practice of setting speed limits too low is- particularly abolition. In Montana they abolished daytime freeway speed limits in 1996. The death rate went down 10% that year. Similarly lowering of speed limits usually results in an increase in death rate. Accidents are minimised by setting speed limits at the 85th percentile- not higher or lower. People should urge the government to improve roads. In particular, areas where many accidents occur should be worked on. In these areas sealing road shoulders, widening roads, making traffic signals easy to see and understand, and separating cars travelling in each direction by the use of a median strip can help enormously. Inexperienced drivers should be encouraged not to drive at high speed even when it suits the road. Noone should drive significantly faster or slower than the flow as this increases their accident risk but inexperienced drivers should refrain from driving fast even when they have the road to themselves. Otherwise they tend to fall prey to drunks going through red lights or stop signs because they don't slow down in situations where more experienced drivers slow down automatically eg. at an intersection or at a crest. Also without years of practice there is a danger that they won't react in the same smooth and skilful manner that a more experienced driver would react if something changes suddenly.
Slow drivers must try to be conscious of pedestrians.(90% of pedestrian crashes involve cars driving at 45kph or below) Ensure that children are properly trained with regard to crossing roads. Ensure that parents are aware that young children will emulate their road crossing practices if they see them but are not capable of doing so safely. Increase awareness amongst the elderly that they need to be particularly careful as they aren't as physically capable as they were when they were younger. Increase awareness that a large proportion of pedestrians hit by cars are alcohol affected. Therefore if you are going to get drunk in an area with traffic you have to make an extra effort to be careful.
Ensure pushbike riders wear helmets and know the road rules. Urge people to get the government to set up bike lanes for pushbikes so that they aren't as likely to collide with cars and trucks.
Truck drivers should observe all freeway safety tips.
Car drivers should also observe all freeway safety tips.
Car drivers must ensure that they are visible to truck drivers. Truck drivers have no way of knowing what is immediately behind them. Therefore cars should change into the overtaking lane a long distance behind the truck (after waiting for faster cars overtaking them of course). Cars should then go a reasonable distance in front before pulling out of the overtaking lane. Trucks cannot stop or slow down as easily as cars and find it very stressful if they have to throw out the anchors because of a thoughtless car cutting in front of them.
Car drivers must be aware that trucks have a "deaf spot". A partial vacuum often prevents truck drivers from hearing the horn of car drivers.
If a truck driver is using the overtaking lane car drivers must be patient enough to allow them to get back into the regular driving lane. Responsible truck drivers have often been stuck in the overtaking lane causing serious traffic jams simply because noone has let them get out of the overtaking lane.