Don’t Risk Life & Limb on the Road: Practice Safe Driving to Minimize Accidents
Do you drive yourself to and from work? Or you probably own a car, but you only occasionally drive it during long trips. No matter how many hours a month you spend behind the wheel, it is important to practice courtesy to other drivers and ensure safety while driving to minimize accidents.
Nobody wants to get involved in road mishaps but accidents do occur. Even if you’re a relatively safe driver, encountering another careless road user may still lead you to get involved in such accidents. But these do not mean that there is absolutely nothing that you can do on your part to minimize the chances of getting involved in car accidents. There are things that you can do to ensure that your car is road-worthy, and that your driving skills are up to par with truly experienced drivers.
Tips for Better, Safer Driving
Now, what are the things which can be done from your end to prevent completely preventable accidents from happening in the first place? Take a look at the following tips:
- Make sure that your car is road-worthy before driving it.
There are plenty of things that you could go wrong especially while you are driving during harsh weather conditions. This is the reason why it’s a must for you to make sure that your car is road-worthy before driving it. Fill up the tank with gas, make sure that the tires are properly inflated and see to it that all the safety features of your car are properly functioning. Send your car to the shop for regular maintenance checks not just to prevent roadside accidents from happening, but also to prolong the life of your car.If an accident is to occur , however, it’s good to have auto assistance (Autohjælp i hele Europa is the term used in Denmark) to help you with your issues.
- Steer clear of alcohol if you know that you are getting behind the wheel later on.
This may be a cliché that you have heard thousands of times, but you should always heed the warning of not drinking when you are driving. If you’re heading for a night out of fun with friends, have a designated driver or simply take a cab.
- While driving, leave a safe distance between your car and the vehicle ahead of you.
Part of your skills that you should have developed while driving is practicing courtesy on the road. An example of this courtesy is leaving a safe distance between your car and the vehicle ahead of you. A good rule of thumb to follow is to leave at least one car length’s worth of space between your car and the one ahead of you for every 10 mph of speed.
- During winter or a particularly wet season in your area, change your all-season tires to ones which are more weather-appropriate.
The use of improper tires, underinflated or overinflated tires are another cause of a lot of flat tires (the term we use in Denmark is Fladt dæk på din bil), and thus, a lot of road accidents too. As such, it pays to exert the extra time and effort in making sure that your tires are properly inflated – and that the all-season tires that you have are changed to winter or summer tires, depending on the season.
- Ignore any technological distractions while driving.
Finally, do not give in to the temptation of checking and responding to text messages or calls while driving. If you must answer calls, use a car headset. Teenage drivers are the ones who get particularly distracted with texting while driving so if you’re a parent, warn your kid against this.
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