The month of June conjures up a lot of different associations like graduation, summer, gardening and driver safety. Driver safety? It's true. June is National Safe Driving Month, and it's a great opportunity to update your knowledge of the rules of the road.
Driving involves making one judgment call after another. Do I have enough room? Is it my turn? Am I going too fast for this corner? Someone can learn the mechanics of how to operate a car, but that doesn't make them a good driver. Gaining skills as a driver takes a lot of practice.
There were over 34,000 fatal crashes in the US last year, and most of those could likely have been avoided by taking small but important safety measures. There are a great number of ways to drive defensively, but here are 7 safety tips that make a good primer to your Month of Safe Driving:
1. Don't Trust Anyone: You can never rely on what the other driver will do. Everyone makes mistakes, so don't trust anyone else on the road to not make a mistake. And hopefully, when we make mistakes, other drivers will be watching out for us like we're watching out for them.
2. Pay Attention and avoid distractions: "I never saw him!" is the most common excuse heard after a collision. Virtually all collisions involve inattention on the part of one or both drivers. Be aware of your surroundings, of the vehicles around you and potential risk. Don't text while driving, don't put makeup on while driving, don't eat while driving, don't hold a phone to your ear while driving. Anything that takes your eyes off the road, even for an instant, makes you unable to react to any situation that may come up.
3. Wear Your Seat Belt: Without a doubt, seat belts are the most significant safety device ever invented. It's a small thing to buckle up and can prevent many injures, yet millions of people don't even wear a seat-belt. Even for the very small areas that don't have seatbelt laws, it's still a bad idea not to wear one. It's untrue, in nearly every situation, that there's a chance seatbelts can cause more harm than good. Properly used seatbelts always help.
4. Know Your Blind Spots: Virtually all vehicles have blind areas, even motorcycles. Know where yours are and, just as important, know where the blind spots are on those vehicles around you. If driving beside an 18-wheeler and he can't see you, if he tries to get in the next lane you'll be run off the road. This isn't just the 18-wheeler's fault, it's also the fault of the driver who didn't pay attention to other's blind spots.
5. Always Signal Your Intentions: One of the biggest pet peeves most people have when driving are when other people don't signal their intentions. Are they turning or are they going straight? It's always best to signal what you're going to do, even if you think it's obvious. It can help prevent accidents and help prevent road rage.
6. Don't Tailgate: Following too close restricts your vision and your reaction time. A good rule of thumb is the 2 second rule, which is where if the vehicle in front of you passes a sign, it should take you at least 2 complete seconds to reach that same point. If not, you're too close. If someone is tailgating you, then slow down slightly slower than the flow of traffic, and allow the vehicle to pass you. Don't hit the brakes suddenly or tap your brakes, as this can easily cause a serious accident.
7. Don't Prevent Others from Passing: How many times have you had this attitude? "I'm going the speed limit, that guy can just slow down, he doesn't NEED to pass me." It's a natural reaction, but it's not the right one. There are several legitimate reasons some people may need to pass you, including emergencies. It's even being considered for law in many districts to give tickets to those who do not allow others to pass that could easily have done so. If another driver wants to pass, make every effort to HELP them do it. Doing so takes mere seconds and it is a courteous, safe and intelligent thing to do.
These are just a few of the more basic driving habits that everyone should have. For a more comprehensive list, this is a good site to check out:
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum/content.php?6-Defensive-Driving-Tips
This month is a good excuse to re-educate yourself about good driving habits. Helping to educate yourself on how to help reducing traffic violations and crashes, and updating your knowledge about relevant laws, are all great ways to celebrate National Safe Driving Month. Not to mention that our agency offers amazing good driver discounts. Be sure to spread the word and have a great Safe Driving Month!
