Millions of people rely on driving to get around each day. While most of them will remain safe throughout their travels, any time you get on the road there is at least a small element of danger. You never know what could happen on the road or what the other drivers out there might do. To stay safe, there are a few habits you should adopt. Below are 5 tips you can use to keep yourself as safe as possible each time you get behind the wheel.
1. Obey the Rules
First, you need to obey the rules of the road. The rules are there to keep you and everyone else on the road safe. This means following the speed limit, not following too closely behind other cars, coming to a complete stop at stop signs and red lights, and only using the left lane to pass. There are many laws that regulate what you can and cannot do on the road and it’s important that you know as many of them as possible. By keeping these rules in mind as you drive you can keep yourself and everyone else on the road a little safer.
2. Know When You’re Not Fit to Drive
There may come a time when you need to drive, but you’re not in the right condition to do so. Maybe you’ve had a couple of drinks with dinner or you didn’t get any sleep the night before. Any time you are even slightly impaired you should not get behind the wheel. You’re much better off calling a cab or waiting a few hours until you’re fit to drive. The David Hunter Law Firm highlights what happens if you get into an accident while drunk, saying “If you’re drunk and get into an accident, it’s likely that you’re facing some severe penalties and maybe even jail time.” Always err on the side of caution and put the keys away until you’re ready to drive.
3. Perform Regular Car Maintenance
A common cause of car accidents is when something on the car fails or doesn’t work properly. One day you could be driving down the highway when the car in front of you stops. That’s not the time you want your brakes to fail because you haven’t checked on them in a while. Performing regular car maintenance will ensure that your car is in good enough condition to take out onto the road. Some things you’ll want to regularly check are your brakes, your engine oil levels, the condition of your windshield wipers, your windshield wiper fluid, and how much tread remains on your tires. You can either perform these maintenance checks yourself or make it a point to schedule appointments with a trusted mechanic every few thousand miles.
4. Check the Weather
The weather is another big factor in car accidents. When conditions on the road get bad it makes it harder to drive safely. This is especially true during bad Winter weather or severe rainstorms when visibility is reduced and the roads become slippery. The best thing you can do is avoid driving during bad weather if you can. Make it a point to check the weather before you head out the door, and if you can, wait out any potential storms. If you must drive, go slowly and bring some emergency supplies with you, such as a flashlight and bottled water.
5. Use Common Sense
Finally, your best weapon against dangerous roads is your own common sense. If it’s getting dark out, don’t drive through a bad neighborhood on your own. If you smell something funny coming from under the hood of your car, don’t drive. Don’t swerve to make your exit on the highway if you’re about to miss it – just take the next one instead. Too many car accidents and issues occur because people simply didn’t think before making decisions on the road. So, if you want to stay safe while you’re driving, remember to use your common sense.
Make Safety a Priority
You may have driven thousands of times by now without any incidents. But each time you get onto the road there’s a chance that something might happen. It’s important that you take a few precautions to make it less likely that something bad occurs. Getting into a car accident or having your car break down on the side of the highway are not fun events, so you’ll want to do whatever you can to avoid them. Hopefully, this guide gave you some good tips and you’ll be able to remain safe each time you get behind the wheel.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
