Every time you get on the road, whether it’s in your vehicle or someone else’s, you put yourself at risk. While insurance can protect you and cover costs associated with accidents, it can’t undo damage or bodily injury. Being a safe driver is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones while on the road.
Minimize Distractions
When driving, it’s important to put your entire focus on the road and not pay attention to anything else. If music distracts you, keep it off or turn it to a low volume. Make sure to always have your phone away, as it only takes a few seconds of taking your eyes off the road and onto your phone to cause an accident. If you need to look at it for directions, install a phone holder at eye level so you don’t have to keep looking down.
Try not to engage in other tasks such as eating, talking to a friend, talking on the phone, or anything else other than driving.
Stay Alert
Making sure you remain alert is vital in avoiding accidents. Always be on the lookout for road signs, other cars, pedestrians, or other blockages in the road. If you’re extremely fatigued, you aren’t able to stay as alert and should probably opt out of driving.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 72,000 crashes, 44,000 injuries, and 800 deaths in 2013 were due to tired driving. If you are overtired, are taking medication that makes you drowsy, or are otherwise unable to stay focused, it’s best to not drive.
3-4 Second Rule
The greatest chance of getting into an accident lies in hitting the car in front of you. To keep a safe distance, use this rule to make sure you have enough space to stop. With the 3-4 second rule, you should always be 3-4 seconds away from the car in front of you to avoid rear ending. If there’s bad weather, or it’s nighttime, or there’s poor lighting, increase your following distance.
Wear Your Seatbelt
While a seemingly obvious action, many drivers forgo wearing their seatbelts thinking that they’re not important or that they’re invincible. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, wearing a seatbelt reduces your risk of having a fatal accident by 45%, and a moderate to severe injury by 50%. Buckling up and encouraging your passengers to do so too is one of the easiest, most effective ways to practice safe driving.
Call Atlantic Insurance for Car Insurance
Don’t drive unprotected. Getting on the road without auto insurance can be detrimental if you get into an accident. Even if you’re a safe driver, those around you may not be, and accidents can happen.
With car accident insurance from Atlantic insurance, you’ll be feeling confident and secure in your coverage while on the road. We will connect you with a number of different inexpensive car insurance quotes so you can save money while receiving superior coverage. For affordable car insurance in Chicago and surrounding zip codes, we encourage you to reach out today.
