Safe driving is your responsibility to yourself and to every individual driving on the road.
In this article, we have compiled a list of safe driving tips to ensure your safety and other road users’ safety as well as passengers.
Let’s get into it:
1. Perform Basic Safety Checks
Before going for a drive, a long drive, or a short one, you should endeavor to inspect your vehicle. Inspect the turn signals and headlights, make sure your front and rear headlamps are in good working condition. Check your tire pressure and make sure it reads within the recommended maximum. Go further to check under your vehicle to see that there are no leaks or any loose objects.
2. Adjust All Seats And Mirrors Before Starting Your Vehicle
When you get into your vehicle, take time to check and adjust your seats and mirrors, if need be. If you notice that your mirror needs adjustment, don’t start your vehicle; what do you do?.
For the left mirror, place your head on the driver’s window and adjust the mirror slowly until you can see the left end of your vehicle. Then, if you need to adjust the right mirror, tilt your head to the middle of the vehicle and slowly adjust the right mirror until you can see the right side of your vehicle.
This will reduce your blind spot when you are driving.
3. Don’t Drive If You Are Drowsy.
You are not in good condition to drive if you are feeling sleepy or drowsy. A sleepy driver would easily get hurt in a T-bone accident in South Carolina once he gets off the road and crashes into a tree, ravines, and even other vehicles on or off the road. Legal representation would be needed in cases such as this.
4. Do Not Use Your Mobile Devices
As obvious as this seems, many people still fail to adhere to this. Using your mobile phone while driving reduces your alertness, as with any other form of distraction. According to the World Health Organization, drivers that use their phone while driving are four times more likely to crash their vehicles.
Driving demands your complete attention, and you need to be focused on your driving: cognitive focus, manual and visual. When using your phone while driving, you tend to take your hands off the steering, your eyes off the road, and your mind away from the road.
5. Use Your Seat Belt
Use your seatbelt properly before driving. The seat belt is designed to keep you safe in case of a collision or a crash. It prevents you from tossed around inside your vehicle during an accident or even being thrown out through the window. According to NHTSA, over 50 percent of car crash fatalities involved people that were not using their seat belts.
6. Don’t Drive Too Fast.
You just got a new car, and everything is working fine. You might be tempted to drive like it’s a “need for speed” or something of that sort. Please, for your safety and the safety of other road users, don’t do this. According to ERSO, the possibility of being involved in an accident increases by 4 to 5 percent with every mph traveled.
7. Obey Traffic Signals
Traffic signals are there to help control traffic and minimize commotion and accidents by controlling the flow of traffic. Pay attention and obey traffic rules and signals. They are most effective when everybody follows the rules.
You might get a ticket if you fail to follow traffic signals as some of them have cams.
8. Drive Slowly And Carefully In An Inclement
When the weather is bad, drive carefully and slowly, with alertness. Maybe on a rainy day, or a snowy day, or in a fog, drive slowly, leaving enough space between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead. If the weather is really bad and your visibility is affected, consider waiting till the weather returns to normalcy. If you decide to park on the side of the road, make sure to turn off your lights. Other drivers are struggling with visibility, and they need to follow other vehicles. They might be led to follow your parked car if the lights are on, resulting in a crash.
Some additional tips are
- Don’t drink and drive, don’t drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Drive on the right lane.
- Use your fog lights to help you see the road better when there is fog.
- Wipe mirrors clean, and wipe your windshield with a newspaper or a microfiber cloth.
- At night, don’t stare at approaching lights.
Put these tips to practice always for everyone’s safety.