Why You Can’t Rely on Just Your Car to Keep You Safe on the Road
Road safety is something that is on the back of every driver’s minds. They want to be kept safe—and for good reason. No one wants to be hurt in a car crash, everyone wants to make sure their vehicle is as safe as possible and they want to ensure the people in the back are also kept out of harm’s way.
For this reason, you might pick a safe vehicle that has plenty of safety features. A well-equipped car with some serious impact protection and a high NCAP score are probably things that you’re looking for, but there’s one important factor that will trump any safety feature that youR car can offer you: the driver.
It seems almost cliche to say this, but a good driver is always going to beat any kind of safety features that manufacturers are installing into their newest vehicles. Cars have existed for a long time, and there are plenty of drivers out there who have been on the road for the majority of their working days yet have never suffered an accident. You can’t just buy a safe vehicle with a high NCAP rating and expect it to protect you no matter what—it takes more to stay safe on the road.
A fancy new car isn’t going to keep you less distracted
With all the fancy gadgets and electronics that a vehicle has, there’s a higher chance that you’ll be distracted by all the extras that your new car might have. Although many of these are designed to not steal your attention away, you might be in awe of your latest vehicle and spend more time look at your dashboard than you do the road.
One of the most important safety factors when driving is to keep your eyes on the road and remove distractions. This is something that can’t be provided by the vehicle—it’s something the driver has to learn.
Defensive driving and paying attention to others is a must
When people are hurt in a wreck, it’s usually not always their fault. Many auto accidents are actually caused by other drivers who are speeding or not looking, and it’s the innocent bystanders and safe drivers that are caught in the mess due to one person’s bad driving. Sadly, this is just an inevitability of the road and the only way to prevent this is to look out for other drivers. If you see a maniac on the road, then give way and don’t do anything rash to try and compete with them—if they have a death wish, then don’t join them.
Maintaining the right speed at the right time
There’s a common saying driving slow is the way to go. After all, the slower you are, the less chance you’re going to be in a collision and the more time you have to react to other drivers. Sadly, that’s not really the case because if you’re driving at half the speed in a particular zone, then you’re a hazard and you need to speed up.
Driving too fast is obviously dangerous, but many people don’t realise that driving too slowly comes with similar risks. If you want to stay safe on the road, then you need to match the speed of drivers around you can pay closer attention to speed limits.
Hopefully, these three tips have shed some light on what it really takes to be safe on the road. Remember that your car is important, but your experience and skill as a driver are arguably even bigger factors in staying safe on the road.
