When you think of safe driving, you likely think of what you should and should not do out on the road. How to react, how to read other drivers, how to ensure you’re not making any reckless moves; that sort of awareness on the road is important, but safety starts long before you put the keys in the ignition. Here, we’re going to look at how you start safe so that you’re more likely to be safe as you keep going as well.
Make It A Factor In Your Purchase
If you’re truly concerned about safety, then it should be a factor in buying a car, not just how you drive it. There are different elements of the car that could make it a safer drive. For one, the safety rating will often tell you how it fares in the event of a crash. Safety features like lane departure warning and blind spot detection are important factors worth considering too. The reliability of the car matters as well. The less likely a car is to malfunction, the less likely those malfunctions are to cause an accident down the line. Make safety more of a focus when you’re choosing a car.
Get More Hands-On
As mentioned, the better condition the car is in, the fewer malfunctions or faults, the less likely you are to get into an accident. So, it only makes sense to keep up with the maintenance and repairs of our auto as much as possible. This doesn’t just mean taking the car to the mechanic as the schedule dictates. Spend some time maintaining the car yourself, not just with tools from an auto body supply store, but checking things like the brakes, tires, and fluid levels. Beyond improving the condition of the car, you’re a lot more likely to spot the early warning signs of a more serious problem by spending more time with your car.
Make Sure You’re Fit To Drive
Being completely aware of the road conditions is one of the most important driving safety practices there is, but all too often, people drive when they really shouldn’t. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is the most dangerous of them all and you can prevent that from happening by assigning a designated driver, keeping your phone charged so you can get an Uber, or leave your car keys with someone else. Drowsy driving can be just as dangerous, so avoid setting out on the road when you’re overtired. Leaving in a hurry can lead to more aggressive driving, too, so try to give yourself more time to relax and plan to leave ten to fifteen minutes earlier than you think you need, especially in the mornings.
Safety should always be the focus of the driver, before, during, and after their time on the road. Make sure you’re buying the right car, that it’s ready for the road, and that you are, too. Just as many accidents are caused by poor preparation as are caused by reckless behaviour on the road.
