Car Safety Tips

Driving is more than just a way to get from point A to point B. Owning and driving a car can also be a very enjoyable experience. Whether a person is driving for thrills or for more practical reasons, it is important to…

Driving is more than just a way to get from point A to point B. Owning and driving a car can also be a very enjoyable experience. Whether one is riding for the thrill or for more practical reasons, it is important to do so safely. There are many risks associated with driving a car, truck or SUV. These risks are associated with various factors that may be either within or beyond the control of the driver. Following basic car safety tips is something a driver can control and will prevent the vast majority of accidents that happen on the road.

Weather

Depending on weather conditions, vehicle adjustments and driving strategies are often necessary. This is especially true during the colder months when roads often become slippery due to rain, snow or ice. When preparing to drive in wet or very hot conditions, check your tires to make sure they have adequate tread and are properly inflated. All vehicle headlights should also be working properly and the windshield wipers should be checked. Any problems that cannot be easily fixed should be taken to an auto mechanic for professional repair. The trunk should also contain an emergency kit with flares, blankets, water, non-perishable snacks, a shovel, an ice scraper, and a flashlight.

When it rains, drivers must slow down by five or even ten miles per hour. This may reduce the risk of hydroplaning or other loss of vehicle control. If areas are flooded or have large puddles of standing water, drivers should be careful to avoid driving straight through them. These areas can be deeper than they appear and cause the car to stall if water enters the engine through the intake valve. Decreasing speed is also important when driving in snow or when icy or icy conditions may form on the road. In snowy areas, speed reductions of more than 10 mph may be required depending on conditions. Vehicles must also keep a safe distance from each other to prevent unintentional rearward movement due to increased braking distances on slippery surfaces. In addition, cars can reduce the likelihood of a U-turn by avoiding hard braking when turning.

• Safe driving in winter weather (PDF)
• Driving in the Rain: Safety Tips from AAA (PDF)
• Driving in bad weather: can you handle the worst? (PDF)
• Step aside, stay alive: do you know what to do? (PDF)
• Winter driving tips

driving and driving

Drunk driving is a danger to everyone as it increases the risk of an accident that can result in serious injury or death. According to the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31% of road deaths in 2014 were caused by alcohol-intoxicated crashes. Because of the danger that drunk driving poses, it is everyone's responsibility to ensure that people with disabilities do not get behind the wheel of a car. It is important to understand that the more a person drinks, the more he loses the ability to safely drive a vehicle. They have impaired visual acuity, reflexes, and hand-eye coordination. They cannot concentrate, make the right decisions, or quickly process the information around them. Fortunately, drunk driving can be prevented. One such step is to have a sober designated driver on evening outings. Another option is to take a taxi or call a driving service. Friends can take the keys from a drunk friend or invite him to spend the night. Party hosts must offer water, coffee, soft drinks, and food in addition to alcohol. In addition, they must stop serving alcohol one hour before the end of the party.

Sober drivers should report potentially drunk drivers if they notice erratic driving patterns, such as straying and out of their lane or, for example, barely letting other drivers pass. Ask the passenger to write down the number plate or, if you are traveling alone, try to remember it. Pay attention to the color and make of the car, whether the driver is a man or a woman, as well as the direction of the car. When it's safe, stop and call 911.

• driving under the influence
• Drunk driving statistics and facts
• How to protect a person from drunk driving
• The high cost of drunk driving
• Drunk driving: alcohol and drugs

Cell phone use

Cell phones pose a serious threat to a driver's ability to safely drive their vehicle. When talking about the dangers of using a mobile phone and driving, the focus is often on the hands. When you hold a mobile phone, you take at least one hand off the wheel, and when using a mobile phone to send or read text, you take your hands and eyes off the road. Hands-free devices can help solve this problem, but this is only part of the danger associated with using a mobile phone in a car. Whether they're hands-free or hand held, cell phone conversations are distracting. Drivers can easily get carried away by a conversation or an argument that takes their attention off the road. This quadruples the chance of an accident. To avoid mobile phone accidents, turn off the phone completely before starting the car and get rid of the hands-free devices in the car. To reduce the temptation, put your phone in a place where you can't get to it without stopping your car.

• Understanding the Distracted Brain: Why Hands-Free Cell Phone Driving is a Risky Behavior (PDF)
• Mobile phone use while driving: statistics
• Be aware of the dangers of cell phones: distracted driving
• Dangers of texting while driving
• Debunking Myths About Mobile Distracted Driving (PDF)

Car seat safety

Cars are dangerous for children, who can be seriously injured in an accident. To prevent this, states have laws requiring children to be in car seats and booster seats until a certain age. As a general rule, children should sit in the back seat of a car from the time they first ride in a car as an infant. The first car seats are rear-facing and used until the child reaches the maximum weight or height, after which they are placed in a forward-facing car seat. These seats use child seat belts. Children should use the forward facing seat until they reach the maximum weight and height permitted by the manufacturer. Before they can sit upright in the car, children must ride in a booster seat that properly aligns them with the shoulder and lap seat belts used by adults.

To be effective, car seats must be installed correctly. Proper installation requires the use of a seat belt or LATCH attachment system. Improper fastening of the car seat can result in it and the child being thrown out of the car or thrown inside it. In addition, children should always be strapped into their car seats as directed.

• Child Passenger Safety: Get the Facts
• How to find the right car seat
• Car Seats: Information for Families
• Car seat safety
• Careful car seat safety can save children's lives (PDF)

Distracted driving

When people think of distracted driving, mobile phones usually come to mind. While talking and texting definitely fit the definition, they're not the only distractions while driving. Anything that distracts the driver's attention is considered a distraction. It may be cognitive distraction and distract the driver from driving, or it may be manual control, in which case drivers take their hands off the wheel. Distractions can also be visual in nature, causing the driver to look away from the road. Often the distractions that happen in the car include all three types. To prevent this from happening, drive the car and nothing else when the car is in motion. That means setting up music to play before driving, turning off all electronic devices, and doing things like putting on makeup or shaving before getting in the car. If you feel hungry, stop to eat and drink. Do not get into arguments with passengers and ask them not to be distracted. Dogs must be securely secured in the car, just like children. If you are traveling with a crying baby, stop safely to feed or comfort the baby.

• Insurance Information Institute: Distracted Driving
• Consequences of distracted driving
• Talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous, but simpler distractions can also be harmful.
• Distracted Driving (PDF)
• Distracting facts and statistics