Top 10 Things You Should Do When Driving

Driving is an important part of our lives. It’s how we get from place to place. Maybe some of you can drive already or maybe you’re almost ready to drive. Here’s some things that you should do to stay safe on the roads.
The Top Ten
1 Avoid Drinking Alcohol or Using Drugs

Drinking alcohol or using drugs while driving is a bad idea. You are putting yourself and everyone else at risk. Every day, about 28 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes. It doesn't sound like a lot until you realize that's one person every 52 minutes.

In 2019, these deaths reached the lowest percentage since 1982 when NHTSA started reporting alcohol data. However, 10,142 people still lost their lives, and those deaths were all preventable. Alcohol or drugs reduce the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning, and muscle coordination. All these abilities are essential to operating a vehicle safely.

As alcohol levels rise in a person's system, the negative effects on the central nervous system increase. Alcohol is absorbed directly through the walls of the stomach and small intestine. Then it passes into the bloodstream, where it accumulates until it is metabolized by the liver. A person's alcohol level is measured by the weight of the alcohol in a certain volume of blood. This is called Blood Alcohol Concentration, or BAC.

At a BAC of .08 grams of alcohol per deciliter (g/dL) of blood, crash risk increases exponentially. Because of this risk, it's illegal in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah where the BAC limit is .05. However, even with a lower BAC, alcohol can be dangerous. In 2018, 1,878 people were killed in drunk driving accidents where drivers had lower BAC levels.

I'm not saying you can't go out and drink, but just be careful. Have a designated driver or get an Uber if you absolutely have to. Don't ever drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It's a danger to yourself and everyone else.

2 Wear a Seatbelt

This is what everyone tells you from the time you're little. Wear a seatbelt. It's a common thing that everyone should do, even if you are a safe driver. Seatbelts can save your life. According to NHTSA, of the 37,133 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2017, 47% were not wearing seatbelts.

In 2017 alone, seatbelts saved an estimated 14,955 lives and could have saved an additional 2,549 people if they had been wearing seatbelts. Just wearing a seatbelt can save you from a moderate injury in a crash by 45-60% and can save you from a fatal injury by 45-65%, depending on the vehicle.

Without seatbelts, you might be completely ejected from the vehicle in a crash or be hurt by the airbags, which are not designed to replace seatbelts but work alongside them. Most everyone agrees seatbelts are important, but according to NHTSA, about 10% of drivers in the US don't wear one, which is surprising.

3 Stay Off Your Phone

I know you've heard this before. Do not text and drive or get on your phone for any reason whatsoever, even on a neighborhood street. According to NHTSA, over 3,140 people died in 2019 due to distracted driving.

Texting is by far the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. You think it isn't that long, but if you're driving at 55 mph, that's like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.

There is no reason to send a text while driving because nobody can truly multitask. It's been scientifically proven that we are merely task-switching. If you must take a call or something, pull over or go park somewhere in a parking lot. Luckily, most newer cars allow you to call from the GPS, so you can call without being totally distracted. Nonetheless, it's important to stay focused on the road and nothing else.

4 Avoid Eating

Now, yes, I get it. Sometimes you have to grab something on the go, like McDonald's. But the truth of the matter is, nobody can multitask while eating. You take your eyes off the road for a second. I know that doesn't sound like a lot of time, but it can add up and be just as bad as being on your phone while driving.

At the end of the day, your food doesn't matter as much as your life and the lives of others. I know it's tempting to take a bite of that Big Mac or drink the Starbucks iced coffee you just bought, but try to wait until you arrive at your destination to eat. If it's really that far, go park somewhere and eat.

Whatever you do, don't eat while you're driving because the last thing you want is to be forced to swerve to avoid an accident.

5 Pay Attention to Road Conditions

This is very important, especially in the winter. I can't emphasize this enough, but BE CAREFUL. About 17% of all car crashes occur on snowy/icy roads. Over 1,800 people die annually because of icy roads, and over 156,000 crashes occur annually on icy and snowy roads.

If you think you're safe, just consider that about 70% of roads in the US are in snowy areas, which increases the chances of an accident. Winter weather can make roads slick, and if it's snowing, it can reduce visibility significantly. GO SLOW and give yourself plenty of time to stop. If you have to stop, don't slam the brakes. Instead, lightly pump them.

Another thing that can cause issues is severe rain and flooding. If you are driving and come across a flooded section of road, don't cross because you don't know how deep it is. If you have to cross, proceed with caution. The last thing you want is to get stuck in the middle of the flood, especially if the water is running and not at a standstill.

6 Drive with the Flow of Traffic

What do I mean by this exactly? I mean don't go flying down the street like this is NASCAR, but don't be like grandma and drive 15 under the speed limit either. Both are dangerous and technically illegal. Find the middle ground.

I'm not saying you have to drive the speed limit and follow it to a tee because, let's be honest here, everyone speeds. Nobody drives the speed limit. Most people will drive 5 over the speed limit, and you can get away with it as long as you are staying with the flow of traffic. Any more than, say, 7 over is where an officer may decide to pull you over and give you a ticket.

Basically, in summary, don't go too fast or too slow. Even though it's relatively rare for the average American to get pulled over in a year, it can be costly. Speeding tickets can increase insurance premiums by an average of 48%. Progressive will double their premiums even for just one speeding ticket, while Geico and State Farm only increased by 50%. MetLife is the outlier here because it doesn't increase rates for a single speeding ticket.

So yeah, the lesson to be learned here is to watch your speedometer.

7 Use Headlights at Night

This is a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many people don't use headlights at night because they assume that streetlights and lit signs generate enough light to make headlights unnecessary. Not only is this dangerous for obvious reasons, but it's also illegal.

Most people will use headlights, but there are still people who don't use headlights, whether intentionally or not. Be extremely cautious, especially on roads that are poorly lit. Newer cars' gauge clusters will stay lit regardless if it's day or night, so people assume they don't need to turn on the headlights, especially in the city where they can see relatively well enough.

Here's the issue with that: the taillights don't turn on, and it can be near impossible to see a car in front of you.

8 Use Your Blinker When Turning or Changing Lanes

This is not that hard, people. I can't tell you how many times people are lazy and don't do this. It's honestly one of my pet peeves. Are you that lazy? Look, we can't read your mind. At least give a signal for what you're going to do. It's not that complicated and it will help save you and everyone else on the road.

At least if you use it, people know what you're going to do. How am I supposed to know you're going to turn? Technically, the rule is to turn on your blinker 100 feet before turning, but nobody does that. As long as you use it, that's all you need.

9 Avoid Street Racing

Your car/vehicle is not a racing car. This is not career racing. Follow the speed limit.

10 Use Extra Caution in Construction Zones

It's not uncommon to see construction on the roads. But if you're driving in a construction zone, you need to be careful. Often, there are big trucks and other machines in the area, on top of the fact that there are usually areas blocked off or restricted.

Pay attention to anyone directing traffic and to signs in case you need to take a detour. Also, I can't stress this enough: slow down! In most circumstances, construction zones also mean that fines double, so even basic traffic violations can be costly. You definitely don't want to be caught speeding in a construction zone.

The Contenders
11 Make Sure You Have Had Enough Rest Before Hand

If you haven't had enough rest, you could fall asleep while driving and possibly die. The best thing to do would be to ask someone to drive you if you really have to go somewhere.

You need to be in the best condition before driving. This is the optimal way to avoid causing accidents.

Driving when tired is a pretty big hazard. I must admit I have been guilty of this a couple of times.

12 Avoid Listening to Music Too Loudly

We all like listening to music while we drive. I mean, if you don't, you're just weird. But maybe don't crank up the volume to full blast. Many people don't realize that listening to loud music while driving can be very dangerous, increasing the chance of driving irresponsibly and getting into a car accident.

In fact, some studies found that loud music can negatively impact a driver's reaction time, increasing the likelihood of not braking soon enough or failing to dodge an obstacle in the road. There is no universal law that specifies when music becomes too loud, but it's up to individual counties and cities to determine that boundary.

At the end of the day, you likely won't be pulled over for just blaring music at a high volume. But if you run a red light and get pulled over for that, the officer could write you up for the loud music, which could be an additional ticket.

13 Give Way When You’re Meant To
14 Avoid Smoking
15 Listen to Music
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