If you live in the Chicagoland area, you know that driving can be stressful and dangerous at times. When sharing the road with other drivers, cautious driving can help you avoid injury or even death.
Here are five car safety tips to help you stay safe on the Indiana and Illinois roadways.
1. Stay alert
Distracted or drowsy driving cause a large percentage of traffic accidents. You should avoid looking at your phone or other technology when behind the wheel because it only takes a second of distraction to cause a crash. Similarly, if you are overly tired, do not drive until you are alert enough to safely do so.
2. Avoid alcohol and drugs
To protect yourself and others and to avoid serious legal consequences, do not get behind the wheel if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
3. Watch other drivers
Other drivers are perhaps one of the biggest threats to your safety on the road. Vigilantly watch other drivers’ behavior to avoid a dangerous collision.
4. Wear your seatbelt
Buckling up is the law in Indiana. If this is not motivation enough, consider that wearing a seatbelt can diminish your risk of a car accident turning fatal by up to 60%.
5. Be considerate
While it is important to drive defensively, you should remain considerate of other drivers. Responsibly sharing the roadway can prevent you from being the type of driver other people need to watch.
While not all crashes are avoidable, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of a fatal car accident.