While many of us have plenty of experience driving a car, it’s not uncommon to see someone driving recklessly on the roads. Driving is a privilege, yet is a privilege that requires responsibility, quick-thinking, and caution to continue enjoying it. In this article, we’ll go over a few quick tips and reminders on how to drive safely in order to avoid an accident.
In order to minimize costs in the event of an accident, make sure you have car insurance before getting into an accident. This should be something you have regardless of being a safe driver or not. While you can purchase insurance after an accident, it won’t help with any prior accidents.
To learn more about driving safely, keep reading the tips below.
Always know what is around you
While driving, you should be consistently peeking in your rearview mirrors to know who is around you. Knowing that you have one car behind you or nobody in the lane next to you can help if you have to make any last-second decisions. If you have to swerve, slow down quickly, or change lanes without much notice, you may be able to make a faster decision if you know nobody is next to you
Don’t use your phone
This is obvious, but don’t use your phone. In today’s world, it’s safe to say that most people are guilty of texting and driving, or at least using their phone to change a song. While you can say “everybody does it,” that doesn’t help when you become one of 1.6 million people to have caused an accident due to using a phone. It only takes a second to get into an accident, so don’t let your phone be the reason why you or somebody else gets hurt.
Obey the speed limit
Just like texting, it seems as if everybody casually adds 5 or 10 miles per hour to the speed limit while still considering it to be within the speed limit. Sure, you may not get pulled over when you’re only going 5 miles per hour above the speed limit, but doing so risks the lives of you and others. Speed limits are carefully selected for certain areas. If you obey the speed limits, you’ll be much less likely to almost hit a pedestrian, a car turning, or someone changing lanes.
Give yourself time to slow down
If you don’t give yourself enough time to slow down, you can easily lose control of your car or hit another car. Consistently making quick stops can also damage your breaks. If you notice cars in front of you slowing down, don’t wait to slow down. Break lights should be an indicator that you need to slow down as soon as you see them. It can be hard to tell how fast a car is slowing down, and if you don’t break soon enough, you can easily rear-end the car in front of you.
Don’t be a passive driver
You don’t have to be an aggressive driver, but don’t be a passive driver. You should always drive as if someone is going to hit you — this is called defensive driving. If you’re a passive driver, you may be hesitant to make quick decisions which can lead to an accident if you don’t act fast enough. By being a defensive driver, you should always be alert on the roads and ready to act on the spot if you enter a dangerous situation.
In addition to these tips, you should practice other safe driving tips such as following road signs, using turn indicators, and always watching for pedestrians. By following these tips, you will diminish the chances of getting in an accident. Sometimes accidents are unavoidable, but by being a safe driver, you show you care about the safety of yourself and others. Drive safe!
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