Though you might know the basics of road safety, there are undoubtedly a few factors that you may not always think about.
Almost every resident of St. Louis knows the basics of road safety: Don’t drink and drive, resist texting, go the speed limit, etc. However, there are many less apparent personal factors affect road safety too. Here are 5 of them.
Sleep
The AAA Foundation estimates that a roughly 21% of car accidents feature a drowsy driver. Additionally, around 1/3 of those collisions end in an injury. What these statistics tell you is that fatigued driving is both prevalent and incredibly dangerous. One way to cut down on these types of accidents is to be honest about how you feel. If you are too tired, then you should do everything you can to stay off the road. The second way you can avoid these situations is by getting enough sleep every night. If you’re energetic and attentive, you won’t take on nearly as much risk when driving.
Stress Management
Some drivers are extremely aggressive no matter what mood they are in. Others only engage in reckless behavior when they are feeling a certain way. The most common emotion that leads to unsafe driving is stress, and many drivers suffer from it on the road. You can avoid this trap by listening to calming music, doing what you can to shorten your commute, and taking deep breaths. Doing so will keep your stress down and lead to safer driving.
Discipline
In the context of road safety, discipline can be explained as the ability to keep yourself from engaging in dangerous activities. One of the most prevalent of them is phone usage. Whether it’s calling, texting, or internet browsing, almost every person in the modern world is tempted to look at their phone on the road. Unfortunately, doing so puts you and everyone around you at risk. Disciplining yourself to keep your phone out of reach is an excellent habit you can develop to increase your safety.
Using Rideshare Often
Rideshare is taking over the transportation industry, and one of the reasons why is drunk driving avoidance. Many people even opt to take rideshare when they don’t plan to drink alcohol. The result is that even if they end up having a few drinks, they do not have a car to worry about. Instead, they can take a safe ride home, hopefully without complications.
Driving in the Daytime
The typical schedule of St. Louis residents is to work and run errands when the sun is out and stay home in the evening. This habit is often safer. Others do more driving at night, which puts them in danger. If you can, try to fit all your driving into hours with natural light.
Though you might know the basics of road safety, there are undoubtedly a few factors that you may not always think about. Of course, you might not engage in any unsafe behaviors and still get hit by another driver. If this happens to you, speaking with an experienced St. Louis car accident lawyer can help you recover the compensation you are legally entitled to. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4242 for a FREE case evaluation.