Every year, 3 million people are injured in car accidents. Even worse is, over 90 people die in car accidents every day.
Because they’ve been around for so long, we all take cars for granted. But the truth is, they’re still heavy piece of machinery that we need to handle carefully.
While you can’t control what others do around you, you can drive more defensively. That way, you’re prepared for anything that comes your way and you’ll have a better chance of coming out with as little damage and injuries as possible.
Read on to learn more about driving safely in every situation.
Perform a Safety Check Before Driving Off
Before we even tackle the issue of driving, let’s first talk about the safety check you should do before hitting the road.
You might be eager to get into the driver’s seat, but before you do that, do a quick walk around of your vehicle after putting the keys in. Make sure all of your lights are working, especially if you’re driving at night. You should also flip your blinkers on to make sure those are working properly as well.
Feel and inspect each tire to ensure they’re not flat or worn out. Check the ground to see if any fluids are leaking out.
Once you get into the driver’s seat, check all your mirrors and adjust them for the best visibility possible. This means decreasing your blindspots as much as you can.
Always Obey All Speed Limits, Signs, and Laws
This might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t follow the law. For example, how many times have you gone a little above the speed limit? Or maybe you’ve skipped a stop sign because there was no one around and you felt lazy.
We can’t emphasize enough how important it is that you always obey speed limits, signs, and laws. All it takes is one split second for the perfect accident to happen. Maybe that stop sign late at night didn’t seem to have anyone around, but right as you cross the intersection, another driver ploughs into you out of nowhere.
The best way to drive defensively is to always follow the law. That way, if you do get into an accident, it most likely won’t be your fault. Plus, when dealing with personal injury, the case will be heavily in your favor since you did everything in your power to be a safe driver.
Pay Full Attention When You’re Driving
For most people, they’ve been driving for so long that it’s second nature. Some swear they can even drive in their sleep. Just look around you when driving; there are lots of people multitasking, distracted from the task at hand.
But complacency is the most dangerous thing when it comes to driving. Taking your eyes off the road for a brief moment already drastically increases your chance of getting into an accident, much less taking them off for seconds at a time to respond to a text message.
As tempting as it may be, never give driving less than your full attention. This means don’t eat, put on makeup, text, make calls, or do anything else that makes you even the least bit distracted.
If those things are really that important, take a brief moment to pull over and give your full attention to those tasks.
Give Other Unsafe Drivers a Wide Berth
Just because you’re making the efforts to be a safe driver doesn’t necessarily mean others are. In fact, it’s best to assume that other drivers are not as cautious as you.
So always be on the lookout for others who are pulling dangerous maneuvers. For example, they might be sleepy, on drugs, have drunk alcohol, or have road rage.
If you see any erratic behavior, give them more than enough room. Whether they’re ahead of you, side by side, or behind, let them get far ahead of you so you’re out of harm’s way.
Should you be caught in a case of road rage, try to engage with the other driver as little as possible. Let them blow off their steam and drive ahead. It might be difficult to not get involved, but just remember that in the heat of the moment, they’re probably not open to hearing what you have to say anyway.
And if you find yourself in a situation where it’s the other way around, don’t engage with other drivers either. There will always be people who pull stupid maneuvers, so don’t get distracted with your anger. Try to let it go and if you can’t, maybe it’s time to pull over and take a break.
Always Assume There Are Pedestrians
Pedestrian safety is very important too. Whenever you’re driving around, always assume that there are pedestrians around. Not only that, assume that they won’t follow rules either.
So if you’re pulling out of a parking lot space or driveway, or stopping at a stop sign or a stoplight, always be extra-cautious. Even if you don’t see anyone around, proceed with caution. You never know when someone will run out all of a sudden, so always have your foot on the brake pedal, ready to stop.
Driving Safely and Defensively Is Paramount to Your Safety
Now you know all the details about driving safely and defensively. While the open road might seem like a scary place to be, have peace of mind knowing that you’re one of the best drivers around now that you have our tips in mind.
It’s always worth the extra time to check your vehicle thoroughly, as well as follow all laws in your area. While it might seem tedious to do so, these efforts might just mean the difference between life and death. So make sure you keep yourself and your passengers safe on the road!
If you found this blog article on defensive driving useful, then be sure to check out all our other interesting articles too.