Don’t become a victim of one of the 6.3 million car crashes that occur each year. Here are five critical mistakes good drivers make and what you can do to avoid them.
Mistake No. 1: Overconfidence
Why it matters: Think you’re a good driver? So do 99 percent of people on the road, according to a National Safety Council survey. Never mind that 93 percent fail to follow basic safety practices like turning off cell phones or obeying the speed limit.
What to do instead: Acknowledge your vulnerability. And even with advanced vehicle safety features, don’t take it for granted that your car is going to protect you.
Mistake No. 2: Multi-tasking
Why it matters: A 2004 study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute shows that driver distraction preceded almost 80 percent of crashes.
At 60 mph, you can cover a lot of ground fast — 30 yards per second or the length of a football field in the time it takes to un-wrap a hamburger. If you veer off course, you’d better hope there isn’t a bicycle, pedestrian or vehicle in your way.
Driving under the influence of anything, including everyday distractions, is every bit as debilitating as drinking and driving, experts agree. That includes talking on a cell phone, hands-free or not. Drivers using cell phones are four times more likely to get into a crash, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. And a hands-free phone doesn’t reduce the risk.
What to do instead: Think of yourself as an airplane pilot — check controls and settings before you take off. “Train your eyes to look 12 seconds out so you can concentrate on what’s ahead,” suggest experts. “And remember: smart drivers just drive.”
Mistake No. 3: Failing to Secure Loose Objects
Why it matters: Loose items, from pets to pop cans, cause 13,000 injuries in accidents every year, according to the National Safety Council.
Remember high school physics? In a crash, your car comes to a sudden stop, but anything not battened down keeps moving at the same speed. At 30 mph even the smallest object becomes a dangerous projectile. Think of your 4.4-ounce cell phone as a deadly missile aiming for your toddler with a force of 11 pounds, or two bricks. Or imagine your 60-pound black lab hurling against the back seat with the might of 1,200 pounds.
What to do instead: Put your junk in the trunk. Luggage, laptops and other heavy objects are best stowed in a closed compartment or under a cargo net. Never place objects on or near the airbag module; even a tissue box is nothing to sniff at when an airbag deploys. Keep pets secured in a latched cargo crate or with a doggy seatbelt.
Mistake No. 4: Drowsy Driving
Why it matters: More than half of American motorists admit to driving while drowsy and one in five say they actually nodded off or fell asleep at the wheel during the past 12 months, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.
What to do instead: Pay attention to your body. Constant yawning, a nod of the head, heavy eyelids, blurred vision and lane drifting are warnings you may be on the verge of falling asleep. If you’re tired, stop driving. Rolling down the window, drinking coffee and cranking up the stereo are only temporary fixes. You’ll feel more refreshed if you take a 20-minute power nap. During long trips, stop to stretch every 100 miles or two hours. Drive with someone else in the car whenever possible.
Mistake No. 5: Thinking Green Means Go
Why it matters: One in three Americans admitted to driving through a red light or stop sign without coming to a complete stop in a 2005 poll commissioned by Volvo Cars of North America in partnership with the National Association of Police Organizations and the National Sheriffs’ Association.
That means that even if you’ve got the green, you could be right, but you could be dead wrong.
What to do instead: Yield anyway, even if you have the right of way. Look both ways and then look both ways again. Know what it takes to bring your vehicle to a complete stop.
Pacific Preferred Insurance Agency insists that you don’t trust anyone. We often think that the other driver will do the right thing, but unfortunately they often don’t and we often don’t. This results in 138 people dying each day in traffic crashes on our streets and highways.
