HOW TO AVOID CAR ACCIDENTS

ROAD SAFETY

PREPARED BY : VASANT OAK

DGM EHSS

MODIFYING YOUR DRIVING

1. ALWAYS SLOW DOWN

Slow down

Speeding reduces the time you have to react and increases the

likelihood of you having an accident. The faster you’re going, the

harder it is to slow down. When you can't slow down, you are

risking the possibility of causing an accident.

Remember that police officers often stay hidden from view while

looking for speeders. If you're caught driving too fast, they won't

hesitate to give you a ticket. While this isn’t an accident, it’s

certainly another thing you want to avoid.

2. STAY IN YOUR LANE

Stay in your lane

Defensive driving means letting others go ahead of you and not

defending your position in traffic. Avoid the urge to be a vigilante ("Oh

yeah? Let me show you what it's like to be cut off like that!") and stay

away from weaving and cutting others off by sticking to your lane.

Accept the fact that someone is always going to think they're in more

of a hurry than you. These are the drivers you want to move far away

from. Don't be tempted to “teach them a lesson” – it won't work.

In general, avoid the left lane. It’s where most accidents happen. You

also have more "escape routes" in the right lane should a problem

suddenly arise that requires you to quickly change lanes or pull onto

the shoulder.

3. DRIVE WITH BOTH HANDS ON WHEEL

Drive with both hands on the wheel.

Two hands on the wheel allows you more control over the car

if an emergency situation were to arise. Imagine having one

hand leisurely resting on it when you have to swerve out of

the way – you lose that precious split second in adjusting

your position that could mean the difference between safety

and an accident.

Keep your hands in the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock positions.

While this isn’t necessarily the most comfortable, this

position does allow you the most flexibility should you

suddenly need to adjust your course.

4. DON’T TAILGATE

Don't tailgate the car in front of you.

No matter how slowly traffic is moving, keep at least two

seconds of following distance between you and the car ahead

of you. Any less and you won't be able to stop in time if the

driver in front of you slams on their brakes.

This is especially important in high traffic times. You may think

the car ahead of you is speeding up significantly, when really

they’re moving forward only to stop again. If you don’t tailgate,

you’ll put less wear on your brakes and save gas, too. All that

stopping and starting isn’t good for your vehicle

5. USE YOUR SIGNALS PROPERLY

Use your signals properly.

Always use your signal, even if you think no one is there.

When changing lanes on the freeway, don't signal as an

afterthought or during the lane change.

Signal at least a couple of seconds in advance so others

know what you're going to do before you do it and can

account for your actions should there be an issue.

Ever notice how most of the skid marks along the

highway are just before an exit ramp? This is where you

have to be the most careful.

6. KEEP YOUR EYES MOVING

Keep your eyes moving

Don't get in the habit of staring at the back of the car ahead of you. Periodically shift your eyes to the side-view mirrors, the rear-view mirror, and ahead to where you'll be in 10-15 seconds. Doing this, you can spot a potentially dangerous situation before it happens.

This can help you predict what traffic is going to do. Looking at the cars a few ahead of you will let you know whether you’ll have to soon hit the brakes or not.

This will help you monitor your blind spot as well, which makes it much easier to know if the lane changes you want to make are safe.

7. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT

Always wear a seat belt.

This is a must, no matter where you are, what kind of car you're

driving, or where you're driving to. By law in many countries, all

cars must have a safety restraint and it must be used. Buckling

up only takes a second and can save your life in an accident.

Children should always be in a booster seat or car seat until

they are tall enough and heavy enough to sit by themselves.

This generally includes children age eight and under.

Never put a child in a car or booster seat in the front passenger

seat or other seat with airbags. Children should generally be

12 and older when sitting in the front passenger seat.

AVOIDING DISTRACTIONS

1. WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING, ONLY DRIVE

When you're driving, only drive

Pull over if you need to talk on the phone, read directions, eat a snack, or mess with your iPod or CD player. It only takes a second or two of distraction to get into trouble, to miss that obstacle in the middle of the road or the car in front of you coming to a jarring halt. The last thing you want is your mind and hands busy when an emergency situation arises.

This is important to keep yourself accountable, but it's also important to keep away from others that aren't so careful. Giving driving 100% of your concentration will help you avoid the drivers that are texting, eating, or not really paying active attention.

2. AVOID DRIVING AT NIGHT

Avoid driving at night

Most accidents happen at night or in the wee hours of the

morning.

Here’s why:

It is more difficult to see, regardless of the weather.

You and other drivers are more tired.

Your reaction times are slower, making driving overall more

dangerous.

You will have the greatest chance of meeting up with a drunk

driver at night.

3. DON’T TEXT OR TALK ON PHONE

Don’t text or talk on the phone while driving

If your eyes are on your phone or your thoughts are anywhere

else other than on the road, you’re more likely to get into an

accident.

Approximately one quarter of all traffic accidents are related to

cell phone use. That's 25% – or 3 million crashes.

4. TRY TO AVOID DRIVING IN BAD WEATHER

Try to avoid driving in bad weather

Inclement weather – be it fog, wind, rain, or snow – means your car can’t perform as normal and neither can the cars around you (regardless of how good a driver you are or those around you are). And even if no one is around you, you still run the risk of having a weather-related accident.

Here's a few things to keep in mind:

Always keep your windshield wipers going in the rain or snow

Defrost your windshield to keep it from fogging up

Turn on your headlights to help others to see you

If possible, try to avoid driving in the snow.

5. DON’T DRIVE WHEN YOU ARE TIRED

Don’t drive when you’re tired, whether it’s night or not

When you're tired (especially if you fall asleep easily or have narcolepsy), your reaction time is impaired. Your brain isn't firing on all cylinders and you drive on autopilot, unable to take in all the stimuli around you. When that happens, you are more likely to put yourself in a dangerous situation without even realizing it.

Be aware that some medications can cause drowsiness and make operating a vehicle very dangerous. If you've started a new medication, ask your doctor if it is still safe to drive.

6. NEVER GET INTO, WITH A DRUNK DRIVER

Never get into a car with a drunk driver

It is always best to have a "designated driver.” If someone

you're with wants to drive and they've been drinking, don't let

them. There are taxis, public transit, and people you can call

for assistance. There is no reason to drive when alcohol is on

the scene.

Never drive after you have had alcoholic beverages either.

Even one beer can alter your ability to drive safely. After all,

buzzed driving is drunk driving, especially to the cops.

7. WATCH OUT FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES

Watch out for approaching emergency vehicles

These vehicles (primarily Fire Department vehicles and

ambulances) can override the normal pattern of traffic

signals in some circumstances.

Even if your light is green, you shouldn't go. Some cities have

the technology to turn your light red, but others don't.

If you're in a situation where you're moving forward, move to

the right onto the shoulder to let them pass.

KEEPING YOUR CAR SAFE

1. KEEP YOUR TIRES PROPERLY INFLATED

Keep your tires properly inflated. According to a recent study,

five percent of all vehicles experience tire problems

immediately before a crash.

Tires that are underinflated by more than 25 percent are

three times more likely to be involved in a crash related to tire

problems than vehicles with proper inflation.

What’s more, tires underinflated up to 25 percent run the risk

of overheating, leading to failure, and at the very least

adversely affecting handling and tread life

2. GO IN REGULAR TUNE – UPS (SERVICE)

Go in for regular tune-ups

When your car is in tiptop shape, the likelihood of you getting into an accident due to a technical malfunction is greatly reduced.

You can't prevent the weather, but you can prevent your car from causing your next accident.

Get your brakes checked. A sure fire way to get into an accident is to have your brakes go out on you. Get your brake lining checked by your mechanic the next time you’re in for a tune-up.

3. KEEP YOUR WINDSHIELD & MIRRORS CLEAN

Keep your windshield and mirrors clean

Simply enough, to avoid accidents, you’ve got to be able to

see. With your vision even slightly impaired, you could lose

that split second you need to adjust your course and put

yourself in danger.

Keep the mirrors positioned well, too. If you can’t see what’s

behind you, next to you, or in your blind spot, you’re much,

much more likely to get into a car accident.

4. REPLACE YOUR WINDSHIELD WIPERS

Replace your windshield wipers regularly

In the event that you run into bad weather (snow or rain), it’s

imperative that your windshield wipers work well.

If they don’t, you won’t be able to see out of your car and

properly determine what’s in front of you and how far away it

is.

The accident you could get you might not even see coming