Being involved in a traffic accident is a quite horrible experience, even when you’re lucky enough to escape injury. You can avoid accidents while driving by staying alert, driving according to the speed limit, and by using your turn signals properly.
Additionally, by driving responsibly, you can also substantially reduce your risk of getting into an accident or collision. If you are a new driver, make sure to get enough practice, limit your night driving to avoid accidents and train for bad weather conditions.
Here are 5 driving habits that will enable you to drive safely
Always remember to wear the seat belt
A seat belt is the most important safety device in a car. A seatbelt might appear to be insignificant, but it can save your life in the worst conditions. The force and sudden moment on collision can fatally injure a person or even fling drivers out of the car if they are not strapped in.
Seat belts also help in cutting down a moment while driving on bumpy roads. If you have a small child in the car than use a baby seat and fasten it using a seat belt.
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Pull into traffic slowly.
Stop, look and listen. Stay aware of blind spots, including those in rearview mirrors and behind windshield pillars or highway road signs. Also, when at an intersection making a right-hand turn, look at both directions twice before proceeding. Vehicles can suddenly appear almost out of nowhere very quickly, so be careful when pulling into a busy intersection.
Keep your distance from other cars and heavy vehicles
Spacing is one of the most important considerations when driving. Ensure that there is enough stopping distance between your vehicle and the one in front is essential when you need to brake suddenly. Those extra yards can be the difference between an accident and your safe stopping.
Drive defensively and be aware of the other cars on the road. Always try to keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. This provides you more time to react, so you don’t need to brake suddenly.
Heavy vehicles have longer braking distances and wider blind spots as compared to passenger vehicles. If there’s a heavy vehicle behind you, put your turn signal on well in advance and leave some extra space for the other driver to brake safely.
Focus
It sounds obvious but making sure you stay focused all the time while driving is the best way to avoid accidents. The best thing to do is to keep yourself away from all distractions. Avoid using gadgets that seem helpful, such as hands-free devices, they can cause you to divert your attention, so you should try not to use anything unless we really need to and that also includes adjusting the radio dials, eating in the car, or even daydreaming.
Another good idea is to set the playlist before you start driving or let the passenger take charge of the music to add an extra layer of safety and keep you concentrating on the driving.
Slow down on the wet roads and in bad weather
The best thing to do in bad weather conditions such as heavy rainfall, snow or fog is to slow down. Driving at high speeds in the heavy rain could lead your car to aquaplane (rise up on a thin film of water between the tires and road so that there is no more contact with the road).
Make sure that your car tyres have the right air pressure because overinflating tyres can reduce the area of contact with the road, resulting in the loss of rolling friction on wet surfaces. If your car tyres are overinflated, make sure to release some air. Drive slowly, turn your headlights on, and try to increase the distance between you and other cars to avoid accidents. Keep your both hands on the wheel and limit lane changes, and stay in one lane.
Make sure your car is equipped to deal with poor weather conditions; for example, make sure your windshield wipers and headlights are working properly.
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