5 Good Driving Habits that Prevent Accidents
Everyone knows about bad driving habits: texting while driving, driving drowsy, etc. But, what are some good driving habits that can keep you out of the repair shop? After hearing thousands of auto collision stories, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 good driving habits to prevent accidents.
1. Avoid cell phone use.
This is an obvious one. Studies suggest that using a cell phone while driving, not just texting and driving, can quadruple your risk of being involved in a crash. Working in an auto repair shop, we believe this statistic to be true. It’s also been stated that using a cell phone while driving is the equivalent of driving with a .08 blood alcohol level.
2. Adjust your car mirrors.
Easy enough! We were all taught to do this during driver’s ed, but we shrugged it off. Yeah, yeah adjust my mirrors, okay. But eliminating blind spots is extremely important for safe driving. Check out the link to discover the most accurate way to adjust your mirrors.
3. Avoid driving in a hot car.
This tip sounds a bit strange, but you can get very distracted driving in a hot car. The discomfort causes frustration. You’re uncomfortable. You’re hot. You may even be a little sleepy from the heat. It adds up. To avoid this scenario, simply roll your windows down all the way when you get into your hot, parked car. We would even go as far as opening and closing your car door a few times to get some circulation going. When parking under the scorching sun, the inside of your vehicle can get up to 172 degrees.
4. Keep your keychain light.
Too much weight on your ignition can be a problem. The ignition switch maintains an electrical circuit. If your keys are excessively heavy, it can break the circuit. This means that your car can actually shut off while you’re driving!
5. Avoid eating and drinking.
A light snack and a sip of your drink at a stoplight is ok. However, trying to eat a full meal on the go can be incredibly distracting. If you’re starving, you shouldn’t be driving anyway. This can be a major distraction in itself. If you need to eat, pull over and scarf it down. If you’re eating while driving, and drop some food or spill a drink, you’ll inevitably take your eyes off the road.