The new year brings new resolutions and new ideas to shape your life for the year to come. While some prioritize seeing family or fitness in the new year, safety is often a topic many forget to prioritize.
For many, driving is a daily activity. With nearly 272.48 million vehicles on U.S. roads, it is crucial to do all you can to enhance your safety while driving. Implementing just one of the following 10 tips could save your life.Wear Your Seat Belt
GiphyPerhaps one of the easiest ways to improve your safety on the road is to wear a seat belt. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017. Almost half of people killed in auto accidents in 2017 failed to wear seat belts.
Ditch Drunk Driving
GiphyDrunk driving kills and can leave you with serious criminal charges that affect your life. "A DUI charge may have dire consequences on your life, your career, your financial health, and your foreseeable future," warns criminal defense lawyer George H. Ramos.
Steer clear of unwanted legal trouble by assigning a designated sober driver before you start drinking. A ridesharing app could also be a great resource to get you and your friends home safely.
Check Your Mirrors
GiphyRegardless of your location on a street or on a freeway, you should ideally be checking your mirrors every 5 seconds. Checking mirrors can help you identify where cars are on the road, if someone is in your blind spot, and empower you to make safer lane changes. Using side mirrors in addition to your rearview mirror can make you prepared for anything you may encounter on the road.
Avoid the No-Zone
GiphyLarge trucks and buses have dangerous blint spots called "no zones". In these no zones, a truck driver or bus operator cannot see a smaller car and thus raising the risk of a serious accident. To be fully out of the no zone, drivers should say at least 30 feet from the back of a truck, 20 feet from the front of a truck, one lane away from the truck's left side, and two lanes away from the truck's right side, recommend the truck accident lawyers at Manchin Injury Law Group.
Keep Distance
GiphyAlways leave two or more seconds between you and the car in front of you to allow for the unexpected. If you are faced with driving in inclement weather, leave four seconds of cushion time between you and the car in front of you. Giving yourself extra time to react can prevent an accident and help you drive defensively!
Leave Earlier
GiphyGiving yourself an extra fifteen minutes could help lower stress levels on the road and encourage defense driving. Plus, who doesn't love getting to their destination earlier than expected?
Set Controls Prior to Driving
GiphyDriving should occupy all your attention, not your air conditioning controls or your phone. Prior to putting your car in drive, set up all the controls you'll need for your trip. Air conditioning, navigation, music, mirrors, and seat belts should all be addressed before your car starts moving. In 2016 alone, 3,540 people were killed in distracted driving traffic crashes.
Scan Your Surroundings
GiphyScanning is a way to view the total traffic scene and prevent tunnel vision while on the road. As a fundamental element of defensive driving, scanning can help you remain vigilant and prepared for any hazards you may encounter, from erratic drivers to construction zones.
Slow Down
GiphySpeeding has been involved in approximately a third of all motor vehicle fatalities for more than two decades. The speed limit should be the roof, not the floor of how fast to drive on a roadway. Obeying the speed limit has been shown to give drivers more reaction time and is a recommended safe driving technique. Plus, if you decide to leave fifteen minutes early (tip #6), what's the rush?
Share the Road
GiphyCars are not the only objects on the road. Pay special attention to pedestrians and bikers in high traffic areas to ensure they have a fair share of the road, too. Obey all traffic signals to prevent bicycle and pedestrian accidents.
Driving is part of a daily routine for many and with so many drivers on the road, implementing just one of the ten tips could mean safer roads for everyone this year. Celebrate 2020 by putting safety first; it's one resolution you won't regret!