It’s early, perhaps 7:30 in the morning and traffic congestion is already starting to back up traffic on the interstate as you make your way to work. Like every morning, you have your coffee in hand, the radio tuned to the morning drive show and you’ve settled into what seems like your millionth commute. Sound familiar? Each year thousands of motorists are involved in collisions that cause serious injury, disability and high medical expenses resulting from driver negligence.
Sounds bleak but the good news is that most accidents are preventable, and by adjusting common driving habits listed below, you can decrease your chances of being involved in a serious car collision.
- Stay focused on the road ahead.
Distractions are everywhere and include taking a quick peek at a text, adjusting the radio and a myriad of other simple tasks that take our eyes off the road for just the briefest of moments. Unfortunately, a lot can happen in the handful of seconds that our attention is elsewhere. Distracted driving accidents have reached levels that resulted in state laws being created to combat things like cell phone use in cars.
- Check and check again.
We’re all in a hurry to get where we’re going and, as a result, those rules from drivers-education seem to be less and less important. Checking the mirror, then checking your blind spot over the shoulder before changing lanes becomes a little tedious as we try to make our way through traffic. However, your chances of being in a car accident decrease significantly if you go back to basics when changing lanes. Remember to check, signal and maneuver.
Distracted driving and negligent driving habits could put you and your loved ones at risk. Car accidents happen every day, and the outcome can often be life-altering. Making just a few simple changes to your driving habits and encouraging others to do the same will make a difference.