1 – Always keep your eyes on the road
It may sound obvious, but many people don’t do it even though they know that they should.
It is very easy to get distracted by other people in the car, and it may seem harmless to reach for something under the seat or in the glove compartment; some people will even multi-task by brushing their hair or flossing on the way to work.
But if you want to be sure to avoid an accident, the best thing you can do is to focus on actually following this well-known rule at all times.
2 – No telephone
This is obviously the number one distraction for people while driving.
Even a hands-free setup will take away some of your concentration from driving, so to be completely safe it is recommended to avoid these as well. Simply turn off your phone completely so that you won’t be tempted.
3 – Music
If you are listening to music, then by all means do not change CDs while you are on the road, and likewise if you are listening to the ready make sure you have everything preset to the station you want so you don’t end up fiddling with it on the road.
If you want to be as careful as possible, however, it is even recommended not to listen to music at all, since even this takes away some of your attention.
4 – Alcohol
This again may sound like an obvious tip, but you would be surprised how many people do this anyway and can still benefit from the advice.
If the mere fact that your perception is impaired while drinking and you could easily hurt yourself or another person, then the practical and financial consequences will hopefully be enough to deter people from drinking and driving.
If you get caught driving under the influence , you will not only pay a huge fine but you will lose your license for a year or more, and furthermore your vehicle may be impounded and you may even go to jail.
5- Construction
Check ahead of time to see if any of your usual routes are undergoing any kind of serious construction, because the extra congestion or unexpected detours also translates into an increased risk of accidents.
Even if you have to leave for earlier than usual for school or work in order to find an alternate route, the inconvenience is worth it if you want you and/or your family to stay safe (and you may even save time depending on how much the construction would have slowed you down).
6 – Speed limits
There is another one of those things that everyone knows about already, but that very few people actually follow. Most people will follow at least a “10-over” rule and think about speed regulations more in terms of getting stopped than in terms of avoiding accidents.
“The police won’t bother stopping me if I’m only going 10 over”, is the logic, however please try to remember that traffic rules are not a game of cat and mouse where the police try to catch you and you try not to get caught.
Traffic rules have been established to keep roads safe and prevent accidents. This is why you should follow them; not to avoid the police.
7 – Other rules of the road
The same logic applies as above. Don’t roll through a stop sign or run a red light because there are definitely no cops around and you can “get away with it”.
Driving is not a game of getting away with it, and the rules are there to keep people safe.
8 – Aggressive drivers
There will be many drivers who flagrantly abandon all consideration for other drivers, cutting others off, tailgaiting and honking, and just generally driving recklessly and aggressively.
Sometimes this kind of road rage can become infectious and encourage other drivers to drive more recklessly as a response, as if driving were a competition to get in front of other people.
The best way to get revenge on these drivers, however, is to attempt to be nothing like them whatsoever, and if anything let them inspire you to drive even more safely than before.
If some lunatic is eager to pass you, then slow down and let him pass you so you can get him out of your hair. Don’t think about “winning”, or you could just escalate the danger of the situation.
