The Dangers of Driving

The
Dangers of Driving

Most
people don’t realize just how dangerous driving can be. Sure,
teenagers are educated when they get their license for the first
time. But after 5 or 10 years of driving without any checkups or
continued education, most people start to get lax in their driving
habits. The rules of the road are no longer important safety measures
to be followed, but loose guidelines to be scoffed at – who hasn’t
run a stop sign, or driven more than 10 miles per hour over the speed
limit on the highway? But not following the rules of the road is one
of the fastest ways to get into an accident. When you try and take
shortcuts to circumnavigate other drivers, you put not just yourself
at risk, but others as well.

It
isn’t difficult to implement better driving habits. You can easily
limit distractions by keeping conversation light when you have
passengers in the car, keeping the radio turned down, and turning
your phone off when you drive. This helps you maintain alertness,
increasing your ability to drive defensively.

You
should also avoid driving if you feel unfit to drive. If you are in
any way incapacitated, such as drunk or sleep deprived, you should
not drive. Not only that, but if one of your friends is tipsy or
tired, you should offer to drive or help them find a safe ride.

Additionally,
you should keep in mind that changes in weather conditions may
warrant changes in your driving habits. Driving in heavy rain or at
night is much more dangerous than driving during a sunny day. In
these conditions, you should increase your following distance, and
potentially reduce your speed. This is especially true on snowy or
icy roads. In winter or during snowstorms, you should increase your
following distance to around 6 to 8 seconds. Accelerating and
decelerating slower can help prevent you from losing traction, and
keep you in control of the vehicle. Driving slower is a necessity for
keeping yourself and your passengers safe. The speed limit is not the
speed minimum – you can and should drive slower.

Driving
is dangerous, but there is so much that can be done to reduce your
risk of being in an accident. Reducing distractions, finding
alternative rides if necessary, changing your driving practices based
on the weather, and using safe winter driving techniques are all
things you can do to help yourself and your passengers stay safe.