Ways To Reduce Your Risk of an Auto Accident

The roadways are a crazy, unpredictable place even for the most seasoned of drivers. You can lower your risks of accident and injury, by adopting defensive driving skills. In most instances, you aren’t going to get advance warning of a possible accident condition, unless of course, you are following behind an oversize load pilot car Farmington NM companies send out. Since accidents happen suddenly, these strategies can help keep you safe.

Always Stay Focused

When you allow yourself to be distracted by cell phone use, your passengers or eating your breakfast on the road, you increase your risk of accidents. Even though it may feel routine, driving is a thinking task that takes up a lot of concentration. It is multitasking at its finest, with having to read road signs, maintain the right speed limit, checking the mirrors and paying attention to other drivers just a few of the things you are constantly doing. Give yourself mental reminders to stay focused.

Drive When Wide Awake

Sometimes easier said than done, but driving while exhausted or under the influence of certain medications, drugs or alcohol is a huge risk. Your judgment is impaired when you are sleepy, and not being alert can cause your reflexes or responses to be too slow when braking, accelerating or changing lanes. Drowsy driving is a leading cause of many roadway accidents.

Always Think Safety First

Though the other guy may have cut you off, driving with a safety-first perspective makes a lot of bad decisions on the part of other motorists forgivable. Driver errors account for almost 90% of crashes, so giving the other guy the benefit of the doubt or right-of-way can prevent a lot of accidents.

Leave your aggressive tendencies at home when you get in the car. Your priority should be to drive safely, even if it means letting the other guy get away with rude or aggressive driving behaviors.