Mistakes Drivers Make While Behind The Wheel That Should Be Corrected Immediately

Added In: Driver Tips

With driving being such a standard, everyday practice, it can be easy to forget how truly important it is to be a responsible driver and make good decisions behind the wheel. According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, in the United States alone over 37,000 people die in road crashes each year. Most times these accidents and subsequent deaths and/or injuries could have been avoiding with more focus and better decision making while driving. Take a look at the tips below and become a better driver for yourself, your passengers, and others out on the road.

Always Wear Your Seat Belt, Even While In The Back Seat
No matter where you are situated inside of a vehicle, you should always wear your seat belt. While many people automatically buckle up when driving or riding shotgun, many people opt out of putting on their seat belt while riding in the back row, especially when using ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, people in the back seat become human missiles during a crash harming themselves and those in the front seat, and according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, rear seat riders are 3 times more likely to perish in a car crash if they are not buckled up.

Put Your Phone Away, The Further The Better
While technology and its accessibility has become a blessing in many ways, it has also come along with some serious consequences, one of these consequences being how often it is utilized during dangerous and inappropriate times, like while driving. It can be incredibly tempting to quickly check an email alert, respond back to a text message, or pick up your phone for a speedy conversation, but all of those actions are impeding your ability to focus on the road, your driving, the driving behavior of those around you and other considerable environmental factors. If you can’t be trusted not to pick-up your cell phone while you’re driving, you may want to consider stowing it away in the truck where you can’t be tempted.

Don’t Get Behind The Wheel When You’re Over-Tired
It may seem harmless to get behind the wheel when you are extremely tired, but the harms that can come from that decision are certainly no joke. According to The National Sleep Foundation, driving while you’re sleep deprived can have the same effect as if you were driving while drunk. If you’re driving and you’ve been awake for 24 hours straight, it is comparable to having a blood alcohol level of .10.

Pay Attention To Your Tire Pressure
Your tires are consistently in contact with the road and taking the brunt of their conditions when you are driving. Because of their constant contact with the road, it is very easy for tires to get damaged in one way or another. Whether it’s accidentally hitting a pothole, running over glass, or getting a nail stuck in your tire, tires are very vulnerable to different types of damage. Be sure to check them regularly and monitor the pressure in your tires.There are many inexpensive brands of tire gauges available for purchase on online marketplaces, like Amazon.

Use Caution During Bad Weather Conditions, Including Rain
While it is important to drive responsibly all the time, it is even more important when the weather conditions outside are less than desirable. When it comes to driving in heavy rain, keep these tips in mind. Have your headlights on, but not your brights, keep a larger distance between yourself and the vehicle in front of you than you normally would, watch out for deep puddles and try your best not to drive through them, if you start hydroplaning, steer in the direction you want to go, and lastly, be sure to slow down when driving in the rain!

Photo by Pexels via Pixabay in CC0 Public Domain.

Sell Your Car For Cash

To advertise your used vehicles with Long Island Used Cars™ please call (631) 850-4500