While there are millions of car accidents on the roads and highways annually, that doesn’t mean you have to be another statistic.
Employing the right driving techniques, obeying the rules of the road, and respecting challenging driving conditions can help lower your risks. So, too, can owning a vehicle equipped with advanced driver safety technology and equipment.
But technology alone isn’t a guarantee that you won’t be one of the millions of people involved in car accidents every year. Here are four things to keep in mind to stay safe on the road.
1. Avoid Distracted Driving
According to one source, distracted driving factored into 11% of all traffic collisions in 2022. Distracted driving is a no-no if you want to keep the roads safer for yourself, other motorists, and pedestrians. When behind the wheel of a car, you can’t afford to be doing other things.
Driving needs to be your sole focus so you can safely operate your motor vehicle.
Texting, talking on the phone, eating, drinking, and fiddling with the navigation or entertainment system should be avoided if you’re driving.
Simply steering clear of distracted driving can lower your risks of vehicular mayhem so you can avoid accidents that potentially lead to injuries or worse.
2. Avoid Drinking and Driving
Everyone knows drinking and driving is inadvisable, but too many people do so anyway. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that around three in 10 — 33% — traffic collision deaths in the U.S. involve drunk motorists. It adds that around 37 people in the country die every day in drunk-driving collisions. That works out to one person every 39 minutes.
The legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in much of the U.S. is 0.08%. But instead of drinking and getting behind the wheel merely because you don’t feel drunk, it’s best to find other ways to get around after consuming alcohol. You can get around with a friend who doesn’t drink, call a cab or Uber, ask a loved one or friend to give you a ride, or walk.
3. Adjust Driving to Match Road Conditions
Have you ever noticed that some drivers tend to drive with reckless abandon without any adjustments to account for different road conditions? Whether it’s raining cats and dogs or a snowstorm is in progress, some people still have a pedal-to-the-medal mindset.
But that’s the perfect way to make the roads and highways unsafe for everyone. If you’re driving too fast when the roads are slick with water or snow, it’ll be harder to stop or execute evasive maneuvers.
Adjust to the road conditions. If that means staying off the roads until the situation improves, all the better. What you don’t want to do is throw caution to the wind and increase accident risks.
4. Wear Your Seatbelt
The National Safety Council reports that seatbelt use in 2022 was 91.6%. It adds, however, that unrestrained occupant fatalities account for 49.8% of fatalities. Meanwhile, the seatbelt usage rate increased to 91.9% in 2023. Wearing a seatbelt is a must — and so, too, is asking all passengers to buckle up.
The last thing you need is to use a seatbelt and see an unbuckled occupant become an airborne projectile during a car accident.
If you keep these four points in mind, you can lower your odds of being a car accident statistic. Unfortunately, bad things sometimes happen on the road, even when taking all precautions. You do, after all, have to share the road with other drivers. And not all take proper precautions.
Calling a reputable car accident attorney is a good idea if you face this type of situation. You’ll get the help you need after a collision.