Car crashes or car wrecks are a phenomenon wherein a car collides with some object or another car in the road resulting in possible injury or death of people involved in the accident, and damage to property in some cases.
There are many factors that could culminate in car accidents such as bad weather or environmental conditions. But, mostly car accidents happen due to rash and negligent driving complemented by disorderliness and lack of patience.
According to studies, over two million people die of car accidents across the world per year! That is why it’s very important to prevent car accidents from happening in the first place.
Down below are some effective tips that help you avert car accidents from occurring to a large extent.
Always keep one hand on the steering wheel
First things first, you need to reduce in-car distractions such as eating while driving, ceaselessly zapping radio stations or CDs, texting on smartphones, or frequently taking your hands off the wheel. No matter what happens, always keep at least one hand on the steering wheel. This is important because a mere pothole, blown tire, or gust of wind could send the vehicle into another lane and lead to a serious accident.
Pull into traffic slowly
Practice three things- Look, Listen and stop. Always be aware of the blind spots and highway road safety signs. Exercise caution when pulling into a busy intersection since vehicles can appear almost out of nowhere very quickly.
Watch for red-light runners
Look both ways and be sure no one is trying to speed through before entering an intersection on a green light. Exercise caution when passing trucks since they have a large blind spot towards their right side.
Related Article: 10 Most Common Car Accident Injuries
Watch out for kids
Small children and even stray animals are a vulnerable lot. They tend to suddenly pop out from nowhere. For instance, they have a habit of crossing a road even when there is speeding traffic coming towards them. The best thing for any car driver should be to slow down and keep an eye out for the kids, especially when they are driving down a residential neighborhood.
Related Article: Safety in the Car-Traveling with Children
Never tailgate
Tailgating is a major cause of accidents when a person is in a hurry. Always leave a gap/cushion of at least one meter between you and the car in front of you. Also, begin your journey well in advance so you don’t over-speed to make up for a lost time.
Be courteous to fellow drivers
The golden rule to follow during car driving is to follow the road regulations as no one owns the roads. So, do not try to overtake, change lanes, or indulge in a race with other co-drivers especially at turns. Lastly, treat other drivers with respect and show good behavior with them.
Look backward while backing out
Look out for cars leaving parking spaces since Fender benders in parking lots are way too common. More essentially, don’t only depend on rearview mirrors-rather when backing the car up, look over your right shoulder to alleviate blind spots.
Wear Seatbelts
This has been said over and over again. Traffic and law enforcement agencies always focus on how important wearing seat belts is not only to the driver but even to the co-passengers. According to various studies, the sheer lack of drivers not buckling up is a major cause of traffic accidents in countries of the world. Don’t be too reliant on your car’s airbags, they cannot guarantee your safety all the time.
Don’t drink and drive
As cliché as it may sound, one of the biggest causes of car crashes is due to drunk driving. Drunk driving entails a driver operating a car or any other vehicle while being under the influence of alcohol or other substances such as drugs that may impair their motor skills and lead to a mental breakdown. Drunken driving is a menace since many fatal accidents take place only because of it.
Related Article: Similarities between Drunk Driving & Drowsy Driving
Author Bio
Mayank is an avid reader, musician, and dandy YouTuber who loves everything about the realms of the Internet. In this article, he talks about ways to avoid car accidents! You can always reach out to him on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MayanktheKazama