There are close to 50,000 fatalities in motor vehicle crashes each year and over 2.4 million more suffer disabling injuries. Every driver remains at risk no matter how careful you are or how skilled a driver you think you are. Good defensive driving starts with following the rules of the road and adding a keen awareness of other drivers and vehicles. Follow the useful defensive driving safety tips to help reduce your risks on the road.
DEFENSIVE DRIVING SAFETY TIPS
- Safety belts save thousands of lives each year. Don’t start the engine until every passenger is secure; including children and pets. Lock all doors.
- Maintain proper speed; driving too fast or too slow can cause collisions.
- Don’t drink and drive! If you plan to drink, designate a driver who won’t drink.
- Don’t be a distracted driver! No cell phones period, no reading or responding to e-mails or text messages, no adjusting GPS’s or accessing the internet.
- Be alert! Always be assessing the vehicles within your site. Notice unusual driving behaviors.
- Avoid potential crashes or impaired drivers by turning right at the nearest corner or exiting at the nearest exit. If it appears that an oncoming car is crossing into your lane, pull over to the roadside, sound the horn and flash your lights.
- Notify authorities ASAP after seeing a motorist who is driving suspiciously.
- Follow the rules of the road. Don’t contest the “right of way” of another car during merges. Be respectful of other motorists.
- Don’t follow too closely. Use a “three-second plus following distance.”
- While driving, be cautious, aware and responsible.
Resources:
National Safety Council [Online -Resources - Fact Sheets - Defensive Driving]
Safety Kits Plus - Car Emergency Kits, Auto Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Kits, First Aid Kits, Vehicle Safety Plus
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