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Explore Essential Tips for Safe Driving During the Holiday Season
Essential Tips for Safe Driving During the Holiday - Motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death in the United States among individuals aged between 1 and 54 years.
In 2019 these crashes accounted for approximately 36000 deaths. Statistics indicate that there has been a significant increase in death cases by 7%. Reports show that in 2022 the figure increased to 38,680, despite the reduction in individuals driving - this is why essential tips for safe driving during the holiday season is important.
Most of these motor vehicle injuries and deaths are preventable. When driving, you can prevent these crashes by driving at safe speeds, always buckling up, and avoiding driving while impaired. These are vital measures that’ll enhance the safety of all road users while driving during the different holiday seasons.
Importantly, it’ll be imperative to learn more driving safety tips for different categories. These categories include:
● Older adult drivers
● Teen drivers
● Child passengers
● All drivers
Driving Safety Tips for All Drivers
● Avoid driving when substances like alcohol or other drugs impair your driving ability. Alternatively, don’t allow your friends or family members to drive when they’re impaired. Statistics reveal that in 2019, drug and alcohol-impaired driving resulted in approximately 10100 or more crash deaths. Apart from alcohol, other illicit or illegal drugs may cause impairments that increase the risks of road crashes. Road safety experts advise that if you’re under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, it’ll be good to call a taxi or designate a sober driver. You can also choose to use an appropriate rideshare service to protect yourself and other road users.
● While driving, it’ll be imperative to keep off all the possible distractions. The distractors may include using your mobile phone to email, accessing social media, or texting when driving. Sending or receiving a text message reduces your concentration as it puts your eyes off the lane or road for a particular duration, approximately five seconds. When driving at 55 miles per hour, it’ll be like driving for approximately the length of a football pitch while closing your eyes. You require full attention and concentration to drive safely.
● Before you embark on any journey, it’s necessary to check the weather. Choose the appropriate and safe speed depending on the weather conditions and the type of road.
Child Passenger Safety Driving Tips
Reports reveal that motor vehicle or road crashes are the major causes of death among kids or children in the United States. Nevertheless, you can help to make a difference to reduce the statistics. The most appropriate way is to ensure that you buckle your kids properly when traveling. It’s an essential mechanism that’ll help protect yourself and your kids from injuries during the holiday season.
● While buckling the kids, it’s good to understand that you need to buckle them in size and age-appropriate booster or car seats and seat belts. They’re the appropriate features that reduce the risk of getting serious injuries or death when a crash occurs. These features reduce the risk of death or serious injuries by 80 percent.
● Your children are usually safe when you set and use your booster or car seats correctly. The best way to keep your kids safe and injury-free during a crash is to buckle them properly in the appropriate seats and adopt various practices to avoid common mistakes.
● Importantly, you should avoid using puffy or bulky coats underneath your car seat harness. They make it challenging to tighten the car seat harness correctly, leaving it loose. Having a loose seat harness is very dangerous as it can result in severe injuries and even ejection from the seat following a crash.
When traveling with your kids, it’ll be vital to buckle the harness correctly and place a blanket or coat over your buckled kid. It’s an essential step that’ll prevent any interference with the harness and help keep your child warm. The American Academy of Pediatrics website offers the appropriate car seat safety practices.
● When driving, it’s good to remember that you should buckle kids aged 12 and below buckled in your car’s back seat.
● Lastly, you’ll need to set a good example by using a seatbelt for the kids to learn from you.
Teen Driver Safety Driving Tips
The CDC safe teen driving guidelines will be essential for any teen driver in the home or family.
● Studies show driving with teen passengers, driver inexperience, failure to use seat belts and nighttime driving are the major causes of teen road crashes, resulting in deaths and fatal injuries.
● Before driving, it'll be vital to discuss the road rules and regulations with your teen driver. You can create a suitable parent-teen driving agreement to write the rules and ensure the expectations and limits are very clear.
● It’ll be necessary to understand your state’s laws in the different states. Most states have a graduated driver licensing system to ensure the teens can enhance their driving skills in lower-risk or risk-free conditions.
● Importantly, you’ll need supervised driving practices when they aren’t in school. You can include different driving situations under your supervision. For instance, under your supervision, they can drive in different weather conditions to enhance their experiences while driving in varied conditions. Nevertheless, ensure that the weather isn’t too dangerous or severe.
● When driving, ensure that your teen buckles up during every trip or in a different seating position. You can buckle up to set a good example. When driving, using seat belts is imperative to reduce the risk of suffering serious injuries or death by half following a crash.
Older Driver Driving Safety Tips
Driving is essential for older adults as it helps them stay independent and mobile. Despite the numerous advantages, older drivers are at higher chances of dying or getting injured in vehicle crashes, as the risk increases as people age. Nonetheless, we’ve got various steps or guidelines that can keep you safe on the road if you’re an older driver. These steps include:
● Ask your pharmacist or medical expert to review your over-the-counter or prescription medicines. The reviewing process is imperative to reduce any interactions or side effects that could impair your ability to drive appropriately.
● Consider regular visits to a professional optician for regular eye check-ups annually. When you’ve got any issue, you can wear the appropriate corrective lenses and glasses while driving.
● Before driving, assess and plan for your route.
● Use a route with the safest features like easy parking, well-lit streets, and proper intersections having left-turn signals.
● Download the CDC’s MyMobility Plan and use it to get more resources and tips on how to stay independent and mobile as you age. They’ll help you take appropriate measures to reduce or prevent the mobility changes that may have adverse effects. This has been Essential Tips for Safe Driving During the Holiday
