Make Driving Safer With These Tips

As a driver, safety must be on top of your mind every time you hit the road. Once you get behind the wheel, you are responsible not just for your own safety, but also for your passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers on the road.

In the US, More than thirty-eight thousand people die in car crashes every year. Moreover, a whopping 4.4 million people suffer from serious injuries. If you don’t think road safety is a big concern, it will be just a matter of time before you get yourself into this unwanted mess.

Here are some tips to help you become a better and safer driver:

Safe Driving Tips

 

Always Wear Seatbelts

Let’s start with the basics. I’m sure that you’re already familiar with this rule. But are you always doing it? Seat belts are designed to keep you secure inside your car. Not wearing them increases your chances to be totally ejected from your car during a collision — which can cause serious injuries or fatality.

Did you know that 47% of all car crash casualties were due to not wearing seatbelts? That’s why always make sure that you always buckle up before you hit the road!

Follow ALL Traffic Rules

Another obvious tip to becoming a safer driver is to follow all traffic rules. This means obeying ALL speed limits and signs.

Be attentive to speed limits wherever you are. Not only driving beyond them is illegal, it also increases your chances to get into an accident. In fact, approximately one-third of all car crash fatalities were due to speeding — killing over 9,000 Americans in 2018.

Avoid Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is one of the common causes of road collisions. In 2018, it claimed the lives of almost 3,000 Americans.

With that, make sure that when you’re driving, your attention is on the road. You can never drive safely if your attention is divided into different things. And this is not just limited to texting while driving. Any activity that diverts your attention is discouraged. This includes eating, smoking, fiddling with the car’s navigation system, and so much more.

Know Your Blind Spots

Visibility is king when it comes to safe driving. Not being able to see the vehicle next to you may result in a collision. With that, familiarize yourself with your car’s blind spots. These are the areas that you cannot directly observe when driving. In the US alone, approximately 840,000 blind spots accidents occur per year.

Identifying your blind spots is pretty easy. Ask someone to walk around your vehicle. When you can no longer see them in your rearview and side mirrors, that is a blind spot.

Never Drive When Under the Influence

I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but let me remind you again: NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE. This must be obvious, but reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveals that a lot ot American still fail to follow this rule. Did you know that for every fifty minutes, one American dies from drunk-driving crashes.

To avoid this, make sure that you will never get the wheel if you’re under the influence of alcohol. You can ask a sober friend to bring you home or just book a ride-hailing service.

Drive Safe. Stay Safe.

Part of being a responsible driver is knowing how to drive safely. Road crashes are one of the leading causes of death in the country. But by practicing safe driving etiquettes, you increase your chances of being safe on the road. Follow these road safety tips and reduce road risks. You will not just save your life, but also someone else’s.