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Did you know that, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are more than 1,700 fatalities and 840,000 injuries every year due to bad car accidents on public highways? What’s more, there were 29,757 fatal car accidents in 2011. However, you probably don’t need any auto accidents statistics to convince you that there are simply too many bad car accidents today. The key to becoming just another one of these numbers is to practice safe driving habits.
Here are a few tips to help you be safer and avoid any bad auto accidents of your own.
1. Drowsy? Don’t Drive.
Virginia Tech reported that 20% of all accidents were primarily caused by a person’s sleepiness. Even if you’re not falling asleep, per say, it’s enough to increase your risk of getting into bad car accidents, since you may just “zone out” and hit a utility pole, a tree, another vehicle, or even possibly a pedestrian.
The obvious answer would be to get a good night’s sleep. However, if you’re driving home and it’s late, you can’t help but feel tired. For these cases, make sure to get some caffeine in your system to get a little bit of pep so that you can stay safe.
2. Don’t Change Lanes So Quickly.
You should always change lanes cautiously. Failing to use your signals, changing lanes too quickly, or cutting someone off could make others break too hard, causing them to get into bad car accidents. They may even wind up hitting you as a result.
Check to make sure that the coast is clear, put your signal on, and then double check to make sure that you’re all clear, and then change lanes.
3. Don’t Tailgate.
If someone’s driving too slow for you, don’t indulge in the urge to passive-aggressively tailgate them. Driving too close to the car in front of you can cause some seriously bad car accidents, because you’re denying yourself the necessary time it takes to properly react to a sudden turn or stop.
Use the three second rule. When the car in front of you passes a stationary object, there should be enough space between you and them so that you should pass it three seconds after they do. During poor weather conditions, this amount should be doubled.
Of course, there are several other things you can do to avoid getting in any bad car accidents, such as making sure not to drive drunk, to speed, or to drive without any headlights in the dark. Essentially, use your common sense. If you have any questions about these tips, or any more suggestions on how to avoid getting into bad car accidents, feel free to share in the comments. Read more articles like this.
