Driving a car is serious business. Every day, people are injured or die in car accidents. While there is no surefire way to prevent an accident, there are ways to substantially reduce your risk while driving.
The following tips will help you prevent car accidents, resulting injuries and pesky car insurance premium increases
Practice Defensive Driving
To prevent accidents, it’s a good idea to commit to becoming a defensive driver. Defensive drivers understand safe decisions to make on the road and always choose to act in ways that reduce their odds of getting in an accident.
For example, when you’re a defensive driver, you might minimize the amount of lane changes you have to make on the road. This means you may look at the directions you need to get to your dedication ahead of time.
Additionally, defensive driver’s are scanning their surroundings at all time. Even if you always follow the rules of the road, people around you may make mistakes or act irrationally. This is why it’s important to keep an eye on the cars around you. If you notice someone swerving back-and-forth in front of you on the freeway, for example, you may want to safely pass them or put more distance between yourself and that car.
Adhere to the Rule of the Road
While it may seem obvious, it’s important to always adhere to the rules of the road if you want to avoid accidents. Sometimes, it may be tempting to break the rules. For example, you might get in the habit of rolling past Stop signs without coming to a complete stop. While this is a common shortcut to take while driving, you should never get used to breaking the rules while driving.
When you get into the habit of breaking rules in a risky manner on the road, your odds of getting in a car accident go way up. Additionally, this behavior can put you at fault for an accident that potentially injures yourself and other drivers.
Stay Energized
You never want to be falling asleep on the road. Whenever you get into your car, ideally you want to be well-rested. This means prioritizing a good nights sleep the day before.
If you find your eyelids are weighing heavy on the road, you may want to stop somewhere close by and take a nap in your car. Perhaps you have a passenger who can drive for a bit while you rest your eyes in the passenger seat.
Additionally, to keep your energy levels up, make sure not to eat too much when you go to pit stops. It’s easy to get drowsy when you stuff yourself before you get behind the wheel. Instead, try to keep your meals light until you show up at your destination.
Avoid Distractions
When driving, it’s common that you get bored. In these situations, you may be tempted to turn on a podcast, munch on some snacks, or call up one of your friends for a conversation while you drive. However, ideally you want to minimize distractions as much as possible on the road.
All it takes is a single second of your mind wandering off to find yourself in a life changing car accident that totals your car. Engage minimally with other activities while you drive. Ideally, you’ll have a passenger who can be your copilot and take care of navigation for you so you can keep your eyes on the road. And remember, never text and drive!
If you can’t fully focus on the road and something else is demanding your attention, pull over to a safe spot and complete the task before you go back to driving.
Stay Calm
No matter how safe you are, sometimes you will find yourself in dangerous situations on the road. Maybe the weather is out of control, or a distracted driver swerves into your lane. No matter what, remain calm with a steady mind. If you panic, it can cause you to make an irrational decision that results in tragedy.
Instead, mentally prepare for the potential difficulties you will face on the road. For example, always pay attention to your surroundings, knowing which cars are in which lane and how far each one is from you. That way, if a piece of flying debris flies toward your car, you can safely avoid it by dodging into an adjacent lane safely.