Did you know that when it comes to deaths caused by car accidents, the United States holds the top spot over all other high-income countries in the world? Almost 40,000 people die each year due to car crashes, and an additional 2.35 million are injured or disabled. Clearly this is a statistic you don’t want to be part of, which is why it’s important to learn defensive driving tips. These tips won’t just keep you and your passengers safer on the road, but may even save your life.
Here are five defensive driving tips that you will want to start using immediately.
Always Stay Focused on the Road
Nowadays it has become very easy to get distracted while driving. Thanks to mobile phones and all the gadgets we have in our cars, it’s common to find yourself fiddling with those things instead of focusing on the road.
Distracted driving doesn’t even have to involve a phone or gadget in your car, it can refer to the state of your mind. If you’re busy focusing on what you’re going to do on the weekend, your day at work, or the kids then you’re not focused on the road. You need to be living in the moment and focused on the road so you’ll be ready to react to anything.
Leave a Safe Distance Between You and the Other Person
Give yourself that safety space, which is usually a couple of car lengths between you and the vehicle in front of you. This gives you enough room to brake in an emergency and avoid hitting them.
Don’t Expect Other Drivers to Watch Out for You
You need to be the one in control of your safety, which means don’t depend on other drivers to look out for you. Don’t just assume people will move out of the way or follow the rules of the road like you do.
Be Alert at All Times
It’s very important that as a driver you are alert at all times. This means you are aware of your surroundings, your driving, and the driving of those around you. You need to react quickly to emergencies. You always want to anticipate what others around you may do too, that way you will be quicker to react.
Stick to the Posted Speed Limit
You also want to be sure you are sticking to the posted speed limit. There is a reason that speed has been chosen, it is the safest speed for that road and its conditions. Keep in mind that during bad weather you will need to drop your speed below that posted limit in order to drive safely.
What to Do If You Are In an Accident
Even with these defensive driving tips it’s impossible to guarantee you will never be in a car accident. Should you find yourself in an accident it’s important you seek medical attention immediately, then hire a personal injury attorney who will look after your best interests moving forward. Personal injury attorneys can help with car and motorcycle accidents, looking after all the steps so you can focus on recovering.
Be a Defensive Driver and Stay Safe
These tips will help you to become a defensive driver, which will put your safety first on the road.