Cars are something in our everyday life, even if you never owned one. The streets were divided for humans, and the mechanical beasts they control. They were created for our convenience, yet are the reason for the demise of too many people.
Car accidents have definitely been known to be fatal, and you would hate to hear that a loved one got involved in one, especially if it was not their fault. Unlike bike safety, a helmet won’t help out much in a dire situation. So, here is a quick reminder about the steps you can take while driving to ensure the safety of those on the road.
Never speed! Speeding kills, and the faster your car goes, the harder it is to stop before it’s about to crash into a car or somebody else. For example, our beloved PGA tour all-star Tiger Woods got into a car accident, all by himself, for speeding on a tricky road. Sources claim he sped off a steep and curvy spot, causing the car to tumble multiple times before finally coming to a halt. Woods is now dealing with potential career-ending injuries on his leg, not like it matters though since he has enough money for several lifetimes.
Studies have shown that speeding 10 or 20 miles per hour more than the speed limit only saves you a couple of minutes in total, so it’s never worth risking it, especially when there are a bunch of cars around yours. When a group of Automotive instructors was asked, all of them said speeding is never justified.
Don’t let anything distract you from the road ahead and to the side of you. If you are unable to use handsfree Bluetooth to speak on the phone then pull over if it’s that important. Otherwise, make sure your eyes and ears have the full attention of your vehicle’s surroundings because it only takes a span of a couple of seconds for a car crash to occur.
Newer automobiles are coming out with bigger and smarter screens on the dashboard. High School teacher technician Michael Schnier said “while it is good to have a big screen so you can obtain information with a quick glance than before, it has unnecessary and dangerous distractions such as music videos.”
So don’t give in to temptation and make sure you are aware of your driving.
Car repairman Donald Morisette, who is also a teacher, advised to never lose your cool on the road because road rage can also cause an accident.
Never forget to check your mirrors and blind spots while on the highway. It can be easy to forget to check your blind spot before merging into another lane, but this is how most accidents happen even if you aren’t distracted one bit.
Turn signals play a big role as well. Speaking of car parts, when Shop teacher Miguel Sierra, a master at the automobile who has led a great number of high schoolers to victory in several competitions, was asked what caused car accidents, he said “it’s rare, but possible mechanical failure” could be one. Therefore, always make sure your car is in proper working order, and don’t ignore anything that could possibly cause an accident.
Last, but certainly not least, always wear your seatbelt! They weren’t created so the police have another reason to steal a Benjamin from you, they were created to save lives. God forbid you ever do get into a bad accident, without your seatbelt, you are most likely going to see your ancestors. However, your seatbelt will make sure your body stays in place no matter how bad the tumbling and impact maybe unless the collision was caused by a big vehicle such as a truck, or if the car was going too fast (thus why you should never speed).
So before you get ready to drive to the mall to go shopping for those cute clothes on sale, buckle up, check those mirrors, and be aware of the speed limit while putting your phone away and staring at the road more than anything else.
