A lot of road accidents occur between different vehicles every day. Most of them are so fatal that they result in the death of involved individuals. About 41,000 people die annually due to car accidents and even more are injured. According to a survey, 3,236,000 injuries were reported the same year.
These accidents, though not completely stopped, can be minimized a great deal by just driving safe. Below are a few tips that can help in this cause.
- Be completely at ease before starting a journey. Take a good rest and get enough sleep. A large number of accidents occur due to lack of sleep. The driver momentarily dozes off and the car runs into a disaster.
- While driving, especially when on a longer route, it is a good practice to pull over and take short breaks from time to time. Take a short nap if you feel like it, this helps you from dozing off on the steering wheel.
- If there is another driver present in the car, share the driving seat. Carpooling buys both of you some extra time to rest and keeps the pressure off of a single individual.
- Turn on the radio, particularly when you’re driving alone. This keeps you from falling asleep. Also refrain from using cruise control when driving alone, especially at night. Maintaining a speed keeps you occupied and hence diminishes your chances of sleeping.
- Driving drunk is extremely dangerous; make sure your head is clear before going out for a drive. You may not get completely intoxicated by a small amount of alcohol but it can possibly make you sleepy.
- Using a cell phone or any other electronic gadget while driving may not be illegal in every state but it sure is dangerous, regardless of the state you are in. Refrain from using electronic gadgets.
- Always wear a seat belt. That’s the first thing they’ll teach you during driving lessons. In most countries, not wearing a seat belt isn’t considered a violation of the law. However, it is considered dangerous by both citizens and authority of every state.
- Keep an eye on the fuel gauge. On an unfamiliar road, it is always better to drive with a full tank as compared to a half-empty one. You never know when the next gas station may arrive. Start looking for a gas-station to fill up as soon as you hit half or quarter of a tank.
- Before starting a long journey, get a map of the route you are planning to take. Plan the whole way and then get going, make sure your GPS is in working condition.
- Always make sure that your car is in prime condition before starting off to a destination. Check the fuel gauge, the engine oil, the gear oil, water supply and the tire inflation. Make sure the head lights and the back lights are in working condition. You might want your auto-mechanic to go through a thorough check if you are leaving for a particularly longer route.
- It is always a good idea to familiarize yourself with the traffic rules of the destination you are moving to. Learn in car sessions in Guelph gives a lot of importance to this particular aspect.
These tips are bound to come in handy when you’ve just started driving or wish to improve your driving skills.
