All across the United States there are auto accidents every single day. In fact, it’s been estimated that a vehicle collision occurs at least every 60 seconds on American roads.
Even more surprising are statistics compiled during 2020 when Americans were on the roads much less. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a reported 38,680 people died in auto accidents across the country. And this was the highest number of fatal auto accidents since 2007.
It’s no secret that motorists are much more distracted than ever before in history due to smartphone usage, the convenience of text messaging, and all the other onboard distractions that the average vehicle has. As such, if you’re going to stay safe on the road today, you need to be proactive in your efforts to mitigate the occurrence of an accident.
Here, we’ll explore a few things that you can do to ensure your safety on the roadways in 2022.
Stay Protected
One unavoidable danger of getting involved in an auto accident is the financial toll that will be evident when you have to repair your vehicle. And if the accident is severe enough, you’ll likely end up with a total loss.
The first step in protecting yourself in an automobile collision is to have adequate insurance coverage. And while most states require some form of insurance by law, currently as of 2022, the states of Virginia and New Hampshire do not require motorists to have car insurance.
Your insurance coverage will be your financial shield if you’re struck by an uninsured motorist. And if you’re an at-fault driver in the event of an accident, having adequate insurance protection will be the only way you’re able to pay for damages and other expenses if the costs are higher than what you can afford.
Mitigate Distractions
As mentioned, motorists are more distracted than ever before on the roads today. And this has a lot to do with the devices that many of us rely on each day.
If you want to stay safe on the roadways, remove the distractions from your view. This will reduce any temptation that you may have to answer a text, or handle your phone while driving.
For example, keeping your phone in your glove box, setting your phone to airplane mode, keeping it in your purse, or just turning it off can all be useful strategies to mitigate distractions while you’re driving.
Additionally, other devices may also cause distractions as well such as 360 degree cameras, navigation systems, and the like. So to play it safe, only use these devices sparingly or as needed while operating your vehicle.
Learn the Signs of Distracted Drivers
One of the most proactive measures you can take is to learn the signs of distracted driving, and to maintain a heightened sense of alert while driving. In fact, even truck drivers on the road today are more distracted, and this makes driving alongside these 80,000 pound vehicles extremely dangerous.
A few of the signs of distracted driving that you’ll want to be on the lookout for are as follows:
- Abrupt or frequent braking
- Not maintaining a constant rate of speed
- Abrupt swerving
- Drifting in and out of lanes
- Riding along the shoulder
- Grazing the median
- Riding in the middle of the road
- Visibly seeing the driver’s head down
Distracted driving is attributed to at least 1 out of 4 crashes in the United States, and this figure is on the rise according to several reports. As such, it’s a best practice to be vigilant while on the roads, and to know the signs of distracted driving.
Keep Your Distance
Often, one of the easiest ways to avoid a potential accident is to keep a healthy distance between yourself and other motorists. By using this strategy, you’ll be allowing yourself plenty of space to brake or to avoid a collision.
One of the worst habits to get into is to ride closely behind other vehicles, especially when traveling at high speeds. And this is simply because you never know when the motorist in front of you will slam on his or her brakes.
As a rule of thumb, keep a few car lengths of distance between you and other drivers, and avoid riding alongside large trucks if at all possible.
Keeping safe while on the roadways is everyone’s responsibility. And then more measures you take to protect yourself while driving will help to ensure that you’ll make it to and from your destinations each day in a safe manner.
