Here’s the thing about owning a Subaru: every one of your friends will be keen to go along for the ride. Travelling with passengers isn’t just fun though, and there’s a lot to consider and remember when you’re commandeer the steering wheel. Are these things below, things that your passengers should consider? Sure. But as the driver, you call the shots. So, for both passengers and drivers alike, here’s the low down on some car rules for passengers.
Safety Rules For Passengers
As drivers, safety rules for passengers generally feel pretty obvious to most of us. As a driver yourself, you can empathise and show consideration for the conditions that the driver is enduring whether on an easy-going open road, through stressful stop-start traffic or worse, bad weather conditions. But not everyone is an experienced driver themselves, so let’s get into an easy list of some of the basics when it comes to safety rules for passengers.
Don’t be a distraction — especially not to the driver. She or he behind the wheel needs their full concentration and all levels of alertness, to make sure you (all) get to where you’re going, safely.
Top 7 Car Rules & Tips For Being A Good Passenger
Car rules for passengers include the following:
- Wear your seat belt at all times
- Pay attention to the road and your surroundings (even though you aren’t driving; the more eyes on the details — the better!)
- Let the driver know of an emerging danger (but don’t shout or try grab the steering wheel or handbrake)
- Be a good co-pilot; this can range from helping to navigate and/or help remind the other passengers to act responsibly
- Don’t channel or track jump the audio controls
- Be mindful of how you using your phone might be a distraction to the driver (oversharing conversations, anyone?)
- Don’t turn on the interior lights of the car while driving, just because you lost your airpods or an earring
How many passengers are allowed in a car?
Did you know that South Africa changed the law in 2017 to restrict the commuting of any passengers in the compartment part of a bakkie? Sure, we don’t have a bakkie option in the Subaru range, but this is an important rule to remember as a driver or passenger in any type of car. Travelling behind someone breaking this law should you make twice as alert and aware as during any other time.
What are the rules for passengers in a car during lockdown?
The various-level restrictions during Covid’s onslaught changed some things about the amount of passengers allowed in various sized cars, at various times. It’s best to check with the current mandates based on the Level lockdown the country is in, at any given time; for example:
Level 3 decreed that passenger cars were restricted to carrying 60% of licensed capacity, whereas the restrictions during Level 1 are more relaxed.
Under “normal” conditions, overloading a car is when you have any number of passengers more than the amount of seats the car’s classification confirms it has having. A 5-seater Subaru should therefore never have more than four passengers along with the driver, at any one given time.
This is an important part of car rules for passengers as much as it is for drivers. Anyone getting into a car should be as concerned about everyone’s safety — as the driver is.
Safety isn’t something we at Subaru have glossed over — ever! And while we may (rightfully) boast our elevated technical and innovative developments that making driving a Subaru supremely safe, we aren’t casual about the role the drivers and/or passengers play either.
If you’d like to know more about Subaru Safety or Confidence in Motion for yourself, book a test drive or find your local dealership and come in for a chat. If you prefer to stay home and talk about anything-Subaru with one of our helpful representatives, call our Customer Care Department on +27 11 608 0116.
