These risks exist even when we are safe drivers -- we can’t control what other drivers are doing on the roads around us, whether they are drinking, speeding, driving recklessly or playing on their smartphones. We can, however, take ownership of the mistakes that we make and make smarter, safer decisions to minimize driving risks.
Among those potentially fatal driving mistakes we make on a daily basis:
Failing to Buckle Up
Not wearing your seatbelt increases the risk of death. You never know when an accident will strike -- and tempting as it may be to skip the belt when driving a few short blocks, statistics show that accidents are most likely to happen close to home.
Driving While Distracted
Driving a car, for those of us with years of experience, becomes so routine, and our daily commutes so monotonous that “we could do it in our sleep,” right? And drive time is wasted time -- time that many people use to multi-task…dangerously. Whether you’re applying makeup, shaving, talking on the phone, emailing, texting, eating your breakfast, or reviewing the slides for your morning presentation, there are many tempting distractions on the road, and these are just the ones we bring on ourselves. Technology has increased our need to be connected 24/7, making these distractions even more serious as drivers side by side on the road split their attention between the task at hand and the smartphones in their hands.
When driving, keep your eyes on the road and put the distractions away until you arrive at your destination. If you have to take a phone call, use a hands-free phone, and if you have to complete a task that requires you to take your eyes off the road (such as responding to a text or email), look for a safe spot to pull over.
Driving While Drowsy
Even if you’ve put the cell phones away, set up your favorite playlist and have your hands on 10 and 2 and eyes on the road, driving while tired is very dangerous, especially on long road trips. The only cure for being tired is sleep. While coffee may provide a short-term, temporary fix, being tired can’t be fixed by opening a window, cranking up the stereo or downing large amounts of caffeine. Studies show that driving while drowsy may be as dangerous as driving while drunk. Tired drivers are slow to react, at greater risk of falling asleep at the wheel, and will be more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident. Dozing drivers won’t be able to take the steps necessary to avoid an accident, and at times, don’t even slow down before impact.
As you plan your summer road trip, be sure to include plenty of stops for rest or make sure there is another driver in the car who can take driving shifts, so that you’re each alert during your turns (and that means having the passenger sleep during his or her break, rather than chatting about plans or keeping you company so that you stay awake!).
Driving at Inappropriate Speeds
Speeding is one of the main causes of traffic accidents -- and driving significantly higher than the speed limit has been proven to increase your risk of being in an accident that involves fatalities. On the flip side, driving too slowly (especially on a highway where you’ll cause other cars to start jumping lanes around you to pass you), can be just as dangerous.
Appropriate driving speed isn’t always driving at the posted speed limit on the signs, however. Even if you have a four-wheel-drive SUV, when driving in snowy or icy conditions, it’s imperative that you slow down to a speed at which you feel completely in control of the vehicle, even if it means creeping along the road and being late for your morning meetings. Likewise, if you’re driving through a nasty rainstorm, visibility can be limited and can affect the ability to see vehicles ahead of you that have come to a stop.
Even if you have all-wheel drive, slippery road conditions can cause you to lose control, and operator error (not being able to see that traffic has come to a standstill ahead of you because of limited visibility) can lead to serious accidents. In addition to reducing speed, make sure that you increase the distance between you and the car in front of you.
What about the Kids?
When we drive with kids, we're carting around the most important cargo. There are have been many fatal car accidents in which children were not properly restrained, and all too often, those oversights were the difference between life and death. Child passenger safety expert Gloria Del Castillo shared some safety tips with the Huffington Post:
● Rear-facing child seats are the safest for infants and toddlers until they turn two years old or until they reach the weight, height and age limits from the manufacturer.
● After your child reaches the age, height and weight limits of the rear-facing seat, switch to a forward-facing seat. Make sure it has a five-point harness. The child should remain in this seat until reaching age, weight and height limits from the car seat manufacturer.
● Upon outgrowing the forward-facing seat, children older than four years old should ride with a booster seat until they reach a height of 4'9".
● Give your car seat the wiggle test. It shouldn't move more than an inch from side to side along the path of the belt.
● Make sure harness straps are snug enough so you cannot pinch or wrinkle the webbing.
● If a child is under 13 years old, she should ride in the back seat of the vehicle. The safest point for all passengers is in the center of the back seat.