Be alert, drive safe: 5 easy ways to avoid car accidents

Two adages — prevention is better than cure and better safe than sorry — apply to all walks of life. Just as enjoying a drive can be refreshing, road safety too assumes significance. While nobody wants to be involved in a car accident, not everybody can recover from it. Psychological impact of an accident can affect the driver’s ability to drive. Here are some ways to prevent a car crash.

Starting with the most basic of advice, it is crucial to follow street laws. These not only include legal implementations like speed limits and traffic signals, but also encompass parameters like being aware of your surroundings, keeping a watch over the rear-view mirror of the vehicle, and understanding when to overtake and when to let go.

While there are speed limits on interstate highways and  city roads, there is no speed limit on national highways. Speed limits notwithstanding, it is essential for a driver to understand the limits of his driving capabilities. Over speeding and losing control is one of the primary reasons for vehicle-related accidents and deaths.

Among the most common misconceptions is that holding your steering wheel with one hand offers greater maneuverability.  While this might look stylish for some, holding your steering with one hand will impair your ability to steer the car. If you consider your steering wheel to be a wall clock, the ideal position to hold it is at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock, with both hands, while retaining a comfortable but firm grip. This will not only reduce the pressure on your hands but also will help you turn the car more smoothly and effectively.

When a car turns sharply in one direction, the centrifugal forces acting on our body push in the opposite direction. This is known as body roll. While an entirely natural phenomenon, it is often met with apprehension and resistance. Trying to resist body roll only increases the stress on the driver’s body, as it must work against natural forces. Instead, accepting and going along with the body roll will prevent the driver from tiring out fast.

It is a common belief that being intoxicated, most typically drunk is the worst time to drive a vehicle, as it is not only illegal but hazardous. However, not being able to pay full attention in any case, be it because of a lack of sleep or otherwise, should be an alarm for not driving.