Buying a new car is exciting, but it gives you more responsibility to keep your passengers and others safe when you drive. Road accidents have become more common than you think. While taking preventive measures might not eliminate the chances of getting into a road accident, it can indeed reduce their chances.
“According to data gathered by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, one individual suffers severe injuries in a vehicle accident involving an intoxicated driver every two minutes. Unfortunately, many people lose their loved ones due to these negligent, careless, and reckless drivers who choose to drink and get behind the wheel,” says a Louisiana drunk driving accident lawyer at Chopin Law Firm, LLC.
Below, we have listed some tips that you can follow to prevent car accidents or reduce the chances of getting into one.
Learn driving properly
This one is a no-brainer. Learning to drive a car will ensure you can hit the road. But learning to drive well ensures your safety on the road. Knowing the basics isn’t always enough. You have to direct all your senses to driving when you sit behind the wheel, and a slight lapse can be the reason for irreparable damage.
Learning under a professional driver is mandatory. But make sure that you have someone to assist you if you’re learning to drive on your own. It’s an easy way to rectify mistakes immediately. You can also learn tips and tricks from their experience.
Also, try not to carry too many passengers in your car, especially if you’re a new driver. You must stay focused on the road at all costs, and too many passengers can distract you easily.
Avoid drunk driving
This one is a mandatory rule of driving. Drunk driving doesn’t only endanger your life on the road but also gets you into legal trouble. Drunk driving is a major cause of road accidents in the world and takes many lives every year.
So, how do you avoid getting into one of these accidents? Well, if you know that you will be drinking, you should keep a designated driver with you who can drive you home. If you don’t have access to a designated driver, hold off on drinking altogether. You can also leave your vehicle at home and ask a friend to drop you off after the party.
Drunk driving doesn’t only put your life in jeopardy. It also puts others at risk. You can hit someone else on the road or collide with another car while drunk driving. It’ll result in legal trouble, a severe accident, and in worse cases, a death.
Wear your seatbelts
It might sound like a breaking record playing, but wearing your seat belts can reduce the chances of severe injuries during accidents. Research shows that wearing a seatbelt can reduce the chance of serious injuries by 45% to 60% depending on the vehicle you drive.
Whether you travel a short distance or a long one, wearing a seatbelt will protect you and your passengers. So, buckle up before you hit the gas.
Follow traffic rules and signals
Avoiding traffic rules and regulations and not respecting traffic signals can lead to fatal car accidents. They lead to collisions at road intersections, and a head-on collision can end up taking your life. Always follow the traffic rules of your state. Stop at traffic signals. Don’t rush. Don’t race with other cars on the street. Let people cross the road when the lights are red. You will reduce your chances of a car accident by a large margin.
Be mindful of blind spots
Identifying and adjusting your driving skills to accommodate blind spots is essential for reducing the chances of road accidents. Adjust your mirrors and check them frequently to track other vehicles behind you. Doing this might be a little difficult in the beginning. But with more practice, you can turn it into a habit. Turn your head before you change lanes. Check the roads properly before going in reverse. Staying alert and checking your blind spots can ensure maximum safety for you, your passengers, and other drivers on the road.
Keep an eye on the weather
Driving in adverse weather can be a true challenge. Even experienced drivers get in trouble while driving during adverse weather conditions. Rain, fog, and snow can increase the chances of road accidents. So, learning to drive well in different weather conditions is mandatory, especially if you come from a country where the weather changes drastically every season.
The roads can get slippery from rain, fog, or snow. They can also reduce visibility. Check your windshield wipers regularly and make sure that they’re functioning. Inspect your headlights and taillights so that they can help show you the way.
Check your tires and brakes before you drive on ice. Also, learn to identify black ice as it’s one of the biggest reasons for road accidents during winter.
Avoid using cell phones
Using cell phones when driving has become a norm. The constant chimes of notification are hard to resist. On top of that, the hands-free feature on phones makes it easier for us to use our cell phones when driving. But we don’t consider that it divides our attention easily and can become the reason for a life-altering accident.
So, don’t attend notifications when you drive. Use both your hands when driving. Try not to use headphones either because they can remove your attention from driving. You can also turn off notifications or the internet when you drive and turn it back on after reaching your destination.
Stay alert and avoid other distractions
Even though cell phones are one of the main modes of distraction when driving, distraction can come in other forms, too. Undivided attention is necessary if you want to avoid accidents. Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial if you’re planning to drive a long distance the next day.
Don’t adjust radios, eat, or engage in serious conversations that can affect your mood while driving. These can also lead to fatal road accidents.
Ensure regular vehicle maintenance
Taking care of your car is also mandatory to ensure your safety on the road. Do routine checkups on your brakes, tires, headlights and taillights, engine, gears, and other necessary components. Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning parts as soon as possible, and don’t drive with the faulty parts on. Brake failure and tire blowouts have caused many major road accidents and claimed hundreds of lives. Reports say that a well-maintained car can reduce the chances of accidents by as much as 34%.
While accidents don’t come announced, taking precautions and staying alert ensures that you don’t get into them as often. And even if you face one, precautions ensure that your injuries aren’t fatal. If you end up in a car accident, remember to hire a good car accident attorney to claim compensation for damages.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
