Driving tips to keep you safe on the road

A couple of easy tips to keep you safe on the road.

In less than 2 weeks we will be changing our clocks to Eastern Standard Time in Northeast Ohio, hopefully for the last time. While we fall back and get an extra hour of sleep it means we will be doing more driving in the dark and we should take a quick assessment of some safe driving habits.

Drive defensively not aggressively. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration considers aggressive driving as “a combination of moving traffic offenses to endanger other persons or property”. Examples are tailgating, brake-checking other drivers or weaving in and out of traffic. Defensive driving is defined as taking steps to reduce the risk of an accident to you or others. Examples of defensive driving are driving appropriately for the weather conditions, allowing adequate space between you and vehicles ahead of you and keeping your eyes on the road for hazards.

Eliminate distractions while driving. This has been mentioned in several of my blogs but the number of accidents attributed to distracted driving  continues to rise! Deaths from distracted driving may surpass 3700 in 2022.  Distracted driving can be anything that takes your attention away from the road. This can include texting, talking on the phone (even in hands free mode) talking with passengers, putting on makeup or eating.

Observe the speed limit. Speed limits were set to make driving on a specific road safer, based on many factors. Driving the speed limit creates a safer environment for you, your passengers and other drivers on the road.

Always wear your seatbelt. A simple habit to make you safer if you are in an accident. According to the CDC seatbelts  reduce the risk of death and serious injury. Among drivers and front-seat passengers, seatbelts reduce the risk of death by 45%, and cut the risk of serious injury by 50%. Seatbelts also reduce the risk of being ejected from a car during a crash. This is a great time to check any car/booster seats. Ensure they are the correct size for the occupant, they are not past their expiration date and there are no outstanding recalls for them. When reinstalling the car/booster seat make sure it is properly secured based on the configuration of the car.

Whenever you are driving you need to be prepared for whatever arises and the Trusted Choice Insurance Agents at Richey-Barrett Insurance are always ready and prepared to assist you in meeting your Insurance and Risk Management goals. So, give us a call and let our team create an insurance program tailored to meet your specific needs.