Driving may seem like an everyday event, but it is the most dangerous thing you will do all day. The United States has the fifth-worst highway accident rate in the world. Depending on where you live and what you drive, your odds may be even higher, so make sure you’re covered with affordable auto insurance.
Even though you cannot control the actions of other drivers, how you drive your vehicle is something you can handle. You can reduce the chances of an accident by following safe driving practices and knowing when to engage them.
Whether you’ve already had some experience behind the wheel or are just getting started, knowing the basics of road safety is crucial. In other words, you can increase the chances of having a safe trip by taking a few simple precautions. These three safety measures should keep you driving in good spirits.
- Be sure to buckle up at all times.
Each year, drivers could have prevented many car accidents if passengers had worn seat belts. In a crash, seat belts reduce your risk of injury by half, and 75,000 lives have been saved since 2004 due to seat belt use. Unfortunately, teenagers, rural drivers, intoxicated drivers, and commercial truck drivers are the least likely to buckle up.
- Whenever you are unsure, yield.
You should exercise caution if you aren’t sure who has the right of way. Even if an opposing driver seems to disagree with your right of way, you should yield. Losing a little bit of time is preferable to being involved in an accident.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, men have a much harder time yielding to traffic than women.
- Stay focused
The use of cell phones while driving has been a significant cause of auto accidents in recent years. According to a researcher, a 20-year old driver reacting to a phone call takes the same amount of time as an elderly driver. What does it mean? If you are driving while using your cell phone, you can lose up to 20 percent of your reaction time.
In addition to distractions, as mentioned above, eating, talking with passengers, and reviewing files are all distractions. Distractions can cause drivers to lose focus and cause accidents. Jim Morrison’s driving mantra helps keep one’s eyes on the road and hands on the wheel while driving: “Keep your eyes on the road, your hands on the wheel.”