How You Can be a Safer Driver in California

No one likes to be told that they could stand to improve at something, especially something that they do every single day, several times a day. I mean, you think you’re a pretty good driver, right? The truth is, however, that accidents routinely happen every single day. There were more than 7 million accidents just in 2016 in the United States. While many of the risks and dangers that come with driving on a California roadway are outside of your control, there are driving behaviors that you can adopt to help make yourself and your family as safe as possible when you are in the car.

Hands Off Your Cell Phone

You saw this coming, right? The simple act of completely forgetting that your cell phone exists while you are behind the wheel is probably the single most important thing that you can do to ensure your personal safety as well as the safety of those who may be riding with and those who are sharing the road with you. Studies conducted by the Department of Motor Vehicles, studies have revealed that engaging in cell phone use while driving, including its hands-free alternatives, is the mental equivalent of drunk driving. Attempting to send a text message while driving is even scarier. It sounds simple but texting while behind the wheel takes your visual, manual, and mental focus off of the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. This is the equivalent to you driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed. What all of this means is that if you truly want to lessen the amount of risk that you face while driving, your cell phone needs to take a backseat.

Maintain Your Vehicle

Look, nobody LOVES spending their hard earned money on oil changes, new tires, new car batteries, and the various other needs that come up when you properly maintain your car. Making sure that you take your car into a mechanic for routine repair and maintenance is, however, a factor in making sure that your car is safe to drive. Providing your vehicle with routine check-ups for its tires, fluid levels, brakes, windshield wipers, headlights, and turn signals, as well as anything else designated in your owner’s manual will help to keep your car more fuel efficient, last longer, and you and the drivers around you safe.

Fasten Your Seatbelt

Your number one defense against dying in a car accident is your seatbelt. That’s why the law says that you must buckle up when you are driving. It doesn’t matter if you are just going down the street in your own neighborhood or if you plan on traveling across the country by the most roundabout route anyone has ever taken, you need to make sure that you and any passengers in the car with you are buckled up before you pull your vehicle out onto the road.

Making sure that all drivers on California roadways are safe is something that affects every single one of us. If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident that was caused by unsafe driving, you need to seek the counsel of a licensed, competent car accident attorney as soon as you possibly can. Here at the Los Angeles Injury Group, we can help you fight for the compensation for the lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering that you are entitled to under the law. Give us a call for a free consultation with an attorney at (310) 954-7248 today.