August 23, 2017
With August being “National Traffic Awareness Month,” it’s important to recognize important strategies and methods to keep yourself and others safe. Here are a few tips to drive safely during the peak traffic hours.
Even if traffic is moving along slowly, staying alert is still a number one priority in keeping you and your vehicle safe. Sometimes angry drivers may swerve in front of you, desperately trying to get ahead. Being alert and attentive can put yourself in a safer situation.
A major distraction to drivers is their cell phone. A car’s sudden stop in front of you can require a split section reaction that won’t be possible if you’re on your phone. Just because you aren’t moving should not give you the green light to use your phone while driving.
Whether it be other cars, bicyclists or motorcyclists, communication through signals is important for everyone’s safety, and especially in traffic. When switching lanes, exiting or stopping, it’s give driver’s enough time to react to what moves you are going to make before you do them.
Even in tight traffic situations, it’s ideal to keep distance between you and the car in front of you. In the event the car stops suddenly, you will have enough time to react and avoid damages. Typically, a three second distance will allow for enough reaction time.
Many accidents occur due to drivers failing to check their blind spots while changing lanes. This image to the right identifies these spots where vehicles cannot be seen through your rear view mirrors. In these instances, a quick glance over your left or right shoulder will ensure you avoid any unnecessary accidents. It’s also important to remove yourself from other driver’s blind spots to avoid accidents as well.
Although smaller than your vehicle, motorcycles have the same rights as any other vehicle on the road and should be allowed the full lane at all times. The same rules of merging and space should also apply, with the understanding that motorcycles offer substantially less protection than you in your car.
Driving in a construction zone is also a place where drivers must be further vigilant for their and other’s safety. According to the Federal Highway Administration, from 1982 through 2014, 24,745 people lost their lives in a work zone crash. In addition to those tips above, seeing and understanding the signs are important to one’s safety. Click here to get an understanding of each work zone sign and understand their meaning.
This summary is for general informational use only and may not include all relevant information.
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