As a driver, you probably practise road safety without giving it too much extra thought. Driving in general requires safe road practices to ensure your safety, the safety of your passengers, and the safety of others on the road. You can easily adopt small habits to help you to stay alert, focused, and confident to make you safer when you drive. Here are a few ways to stay safe on the road.
1. Keep Your Vehicle Roadworthy
Having a safe car is the first step to staying safe on the road. Keeping your car roadworthy is important for both you and for other drivers. Keep up with regular services in order to stay on track with updates to your car along the way. If your car is a bit older, take extra care as more issues may come up that need to be fixed.
2. Remove Distractions
You have probably heard it before, but for good reason – distractions while driving can increase the probability of an accident. Draw your attention away from anything in the car that can take your focus away from driving: texting, phone calls, snacks, and anything else. Outside the car, distractions are unavoidable; road works, pedestrians, a new building, and many more can draw your attention away from the road in front of you. While being aware of your surroundings is an important part of driving, paying attention to your own vehicle is as well.
3. Do Not Use Your Phone
Do not use your phone in the vehicle. Fines and demerit points aside, using your phone inside the vehicle is the biggest distraction for any driver, especially if you are a commercial driver transporting cargo over large distances. Whether it be texting, talking on the phone, or finding directions, a phone screen can take away a valuable second from your eyes on the road. That one second can be the difference between preventing a mistake or landing you in trouble in the event of an accident, as many companies install dashcams (find more info here) to have full visibility of their fleets. Stay safe while driving by only stopping to look at your phone when the vehicle is parked.
4. Pay Attention To Small Cues
Being an alert driver means paying attention to anything and everything. A safe driver can see their car, the cars surrounding, and the range of possibilities all at once. Noticing small cues could be the difference between a small hit to the bumper or a head-on collision. As a driver, you should see all aspects of your surroundings at the same time.
5. Avoid Mistakes
Driving is a scary thing. While you may put a lot of effort into being careful, other drivers may not. Stay safe by taking extra caution in all aspects of your driving; this will help you to avoid mistakes. Think back to when you learned to drive and remember your mistakes. Learn from these mistakes to avoid them next time and become a safer driver.
Resources on how to stay safe on the road are endless. Experts like GC Traffic Lawyers know the importance of staying safe on the road and the consequences of not exercising caution. Adopting some simple steps can help you stay alert and avoid mistakes.
