Staying Safe Behind the Wheel
Posted by admin at 24 February 2017, at 10 : 29 AM
There are a number of simple things you can do if you want to stay safe behind the wheel, avoid a wreck and enjoy your time on the road and avoid any major incidents. Here are some of the most important tips to help you stay safe when driving:
Care for Your Car
Keeping your car in tip-top condition should be your biggest priority if you want to stay safe on the road. Doing things like ensuring your tyres aren’t bald, checking your oil levels, brakes, battery, etc., on a regular basis will massively minimize your chances of breaking down or getting into an accident.
Belt Up
You should never ever drive your vehicle without first putting on your seatbelt. Your seatbelt could be the only thing keeping you from death if you are unlucky enough to be involved in a car crash, so ensure you and your passengers always belt up as soon as you get in the car.
Stay Alert
It is all too easy to slip into autopilot and pay attention to little more than the vehicle in front of you and the sounds coming from your radio, but if you want to truly avoid all of the dangers the road presents, you need to keep your wits about you, scan the area for danger and be poised to take quick action should a danger present itself.
Clean Your Car
Of course, you can only spot all potential dangers on the road if your car has been cleaned. If your windows are dirty, covered in ice or otherwise obscured, you may miss key pieces of information, leading to an accident.
Install Cameras
Front and rear view camera systems are more popular than ever and with good reason. Rear view camera systems are particularly good for increasing safety because they enable you to better see what is going on behind you, maximizing your visibility on the road. Whereas, front or dash cams, as they are often called, are great for recording the poor driving of others and proving your case should an accident occur through no fault of your own.
Know Your Vehicle
Get to know your vehicle inside out. Work out its limitations and strengths and try not push your car to do things that it isn’t really meant to and you will avoid a lot of problems.
Keep Learning
We can become complacent after we have been driving for a while, and our actions on the road can become sloppy as a result. If you feel like you are no longer driving optimally, and you’ve slipped into bad habits, you might want to think about enrolling on something like a Smart Driver Course, which will help you brush up and improve your skills behind the wheel.
Be Prepared
Always pack your car with any tools and supplies that you might need should your car breakdown, get stuck in a snow drift or otherwise experience problems. A spare tyre, torch, food, snow chains, blankets and a first aid kit – these are all things that could save your life on the road.
Most important of all, drive carefully and confidently at all times and you will find it easy to stay safe on the road. Happy driving.