The second you pull out of your driveway, you take the risk of getting into a car accident. In 2015 alone, there were over 6 million reported car accidents.
So, how do you not become one of these statistics? What can you do while you drive to avoid falling victim to an accident?
These are great questions to ask and you’re in the right place to find out the answers you’re looking for. I’m going to share 9 tips with you that will teach you how to avoid car accidents by having safer driving habits.
Putting these tips into practice could reduce your risks of causing an accident or being part of an accident caused by someone else.
Table of Contents
- 1 1. Take Care of Your Car and the Maintenance It Needs
- 2 2. Don’t Allow Yourself to be Distracted
- 3 3. Give Yourself Plenty of Space When Following Vehicles
- 4 4. Adjust Your Driving When the Weather Is Bad
- 5 5. Watch Out for Mistakes of Other Drivers
- 6 6. Never Drive with Road Rage
- 7 7. Be Aware of Blind Spots
- 8 8. Keep Your Hands on Your Steering Wheel
- 9 9. Slow Down
- 10 How to Avoid Car Accidents? Put These Tips to Work
1. Take Care of Your Car and the Maintenance It Needs
The car you drive and its condition play a role in your risks of causing an accident. A well-maintained car is always safer to drive.
Bad brakes on a car, for example, could lead you to crash into a car in front of you. A bad tire could blow while you’re driving which could cause you to swerve into another vehicle.
A bad battery or engine problem could leave you stranded on the side of the road while driving. This could result in another car colliding with your parked car simply because the driver didn’t see your car parked there.
2. Don’t Allow Yourself to be Distracted
Distractions while driving is the number one cause of all automobile accidents today. Any type of distraction can cause you to take your eyes off the road for a few seconds, or longer, and this is plenty of time for an accident to happen.
Don’t use your cellphone. In fact, you should make a habit of never even touching your phone while you are behind the wheel of your car.
Also, you might want to stop eating while you drive! You’re hungry so you pull through a drive-thru to order a burger and fries and then you eat while you drive. We’ve all been there but this too can cause you to take your eyes off the road.
To drive safely, you’ll need to learn to avoid every single thing that could possibly distract you from paying attention to the roads and your surroundings.
3. Give Yourself Plenty of Space When Following Vehicles
Driving too closely to cars in front of you is another problem you might need to address. When you are too close to the cars in front of you, it gives you less time to stop if they stop.
If you give yourself plenty of space behind cars, you’ll have more time to respond if necessary.
4. Adjust Your Driving When the Weather Is Bad
Your driving habits should also be different when the weather is bad. You shouldn’t go as fast when it’s raining or snowing, and you should definitely slow down if the roads are icy.
Always adjust your driving habits to accommodate for bad weather. By doing this, you’ll have a better chance of avoiding a collision which means you’ll have a better chance of avoiding a personal injury case.
5. Watch Out for Mistakes of Other Drivers
You could be the safest driver around and never break a rule or do something wrong on the road but this doesn’t fully protect you while driving. To protect yourself, you’ll have to learn to drive defensively.
Driving defensively basically means that you’re always on the alert for mistakes of other drivers. You’re careful when you see cars pulling out. You’re ready for a driver in front of you to slam on his brakes. You’re alert of your surroundings.
6. Never Drive with Road Rage
Road rage is a huge problem with drivers today and it leads people to drive much more aggressively than they should.
Have you ever yelled at someone after they pulled out in front of you? Did this make you angry? Did you drive differently as a result? This is an example of road rage. If you have this issue, you’ll need to find a way to relieve it.
You can’t control other drivers and what they do. You can only control how you drive and how you respond to other drivers. Striving to have more patience while you drive could be helpful for you if you struggle with this.
7. Be Aware of Blind Spots
Being more aware of blind spots is also a good tip to follow if you’re trying to avoid accidents. A blind spot is an area you cannot see from where you are sitting in your car.
If you’re not aware that blind spots are there, you probably won’t be aware of the potential problems they can lead to.
8. Keep Your Hands on Your Steering Wheel
Making a habit of keeping both hands on the steering wheel is another great tip for safe driving. You should always aim to steer with both hands, and you should have a rule for yourself to never take both hands off the wheel at the same time.
9. Slow Down
Finally, you’re going to have to learn to slow down if you want to stay safe while driving. Speeding elevates your risks for a car accident by making it harder to stop when you need to.
Additionally, a car collision will always be much worse too when traveling at higher speeds. Higher speeds lead to more force in a crash, and more force leads to more injuries.
How to Avoid Car Accidents? Put These Tips to Work
Car accidents cause damage to your property and can leave you with major injuries – some so severe that they could affect you for the rest of your life.
Following these tips can help you learn how to avoid car accidents, as long as you put them to work. If you’re interested in learning more safe-driving habits, visit our blog today!
