In addition to putting safety first and checking your vehicle before you leave for the road, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) has shared some summer driving tips for when you're driving on the road in order to prevent car accidents.
Focus on the road
Do not get distracted while driving
Share the road
Do not drive impaired
While driving, your only responsibilities should be to keep your eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and concentrating on the task of driving. Long distance drives can be tiring and tedious. While on these drives it can be tempting to give into distractions in order to make time go by faster. A phone call or text message is not worth risking your life, the passengers lives, and lives of other drivers on the road. Distracted driving is considered as anything that takes your attention away from the road. You should always refrain from activities that take your eyes off the road. Law enforcement officers across the country, and especially in the state of Michigan are now using innovative strategies in order to enforce their state's distracted driving laws.
In addition to staying focused on the road and avoiding distracted driving, you should always share the road. When the weather is warmer in the summer time there tends to be more cars, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. These road users are much more vulnerable as they do not have the protection of a car or truck. To avoid motor vehicle accidents, you should leave a good distance from other vehicles, be mindful of pedestrians, and always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic.
Impaired driving should be avoided at all times when driving a car. Impaired driving may involve drugs, alcohol, or other substances which affect the driver's state of mind or reaction time. According to the NHTSA, every 52 minutes, someone in the United States dies in an alcohol-impaired-driving crash. Drugs and alcohol can impair you in multiple ways including perception, judgment, motor skills, memory skills that are critical for safe and responsible driving. Driving impaired puts the drivers life at risk, as well as other drivers on the road. You should always be responsible and do not drink and drive. If you plan to drink on a night out, make sure you have a designated driver.
If you have been injured in a car or motorcycle accident, contact a lawyer at The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Our accident attorneys are experienced in handling all types of auto accident and motorcycle accident cases. Call 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation today.