Some people don’t like driving so much, while others love it. The ones who enjoy it seem to relish the vehicle and human combination, the feel of eating up the miles in a precision machine. These are the ones most likely to get custom paint jobs and flashy vehicular components.
Regardless of how you feel about driving, you need to be safe out there, and some are better at it than others. There are some unsafe drivers whose reckless behavior makes it dangerous for everyone.
Here are five hazardous car activities that you should avoid if you want to contribute to road safety.
Don’t Talk on the Phone While Driving
Talking on the phone while driving is an activity that can easily cause a disaster. In fact, drivers distracted by their phones are 87% more likely to be involved in a collision. That is because:
- If you’re talking on the phone, you may not have both hands on the wheel
- The conversation you’re having is getting some of your attention
It’s better to use Bluetooth if you’re going to talk to someone while you’re driving. However, it’s even better to tell them you’re on the road at that moment, and you’ll call them back.
Even Bluetooth conversations while driving distract you, so it’s best to avoid them unless it’s about something extremely urgent.
Speeding
Speeding seems like a lifestyle choice for some drivers, and it’s a bad one. You might feel thrilled to open up your vehicle and see if it can hit the top speed that it claims on the speedometer, but that’s rarely safe to do.
When you’re speeding:
- Your reaction time is slower
- If you get in a wreck, it’s bound to be much more serious
Think about Paul Walker. The “Fast and the Furious” star’s death ironically came in a vehicle that was going much too fast.
If you speed, then you’re not impressing anyone. All you’re doing is making things dangerous for yourself, any passengers, and the other drivers and pedestrians around you.
Tailgating
Tailgating is the antithesis of defensive driving, which they teach you about in driving school. It means that you should follow all road rules and be courteous toward other drivers.
People call it tailgating when you ride someone’s bumper, usually on the highway. You might feel like the driver ahead of you is not going fast enough, so you drive close behind them to try and get them to move over.
This is a foolish thing to do. You might panic the other driver, and they could get in an accident because of you pressuring them. They could also step on the brakes suddenly, causing you to crash into them.
If you want to get past someone you feel is going too slowly, get in the passing lane and go around them. They might have a valid reason for going slow, and they don’t need you tailgating or beeping at them.
Blasting Music
No one likes to hear your music cranked up while you’re out driving around. It’s obnoxious, but can also potentially cause an accident.
If you have your tunes turned up, you can’t hear the other cars around you. You might not hear a horn warning you of danger, and you may not pay enough attention to pedestrians.
You can enjoy music in your car, but you should do so at a reasonable volume. If you overdo things, then sometimes an accident can happen before you even realize it.
Kids Out of Car Seats
If you have a young child or children, and you’re taking them for a drive, then you should make sure that you strap them safely into a car seat. It should be the right size for them, and it should be in the back seat, where it’s safer, rather than in the front.
If your child is out of their car seat, it’s dangerous for them if there is a crash, but they can also distract you. They need to be secure so they don’t cause you to take your eyes off the road at an inopportune moment.
At the same time, you should always wear a seatbelt yourself. You may feel rebellious, not wearing a seatbelt with a shoulder harness, but that can be a costly error if you get in a collision.
It’s not difficult at all to follow these guidelines. By doing so, you’re making the roads safer and reducing your chances of not getting home in one piece.
