How to Reduce the Risk of Accidents on the Open Road

Even though summer is coming to an end, there are still various people who want to go on vacation.

But any responsible driver can make sure of a few things before they go on the road, to be sure that the risk of being part of an accident decreases.

Do you know why so many accidents happen? Most are caused by unconscious drivers, but there are also causes that can be easily avoided. For example, many accidents occur because the car fails to break promptly. Or that the driver did not adjust his mirrors well and did not insure himself efficiently.

Or that the car has a damaged rear wiper, and the driver does not have good visibility. Or that the light from a lighthouse has burned, and laziness does not allow him to invest 10 minutes to change it… There are many causes of accidents, but this time we will only discuss what he can check and correct. any driver before leaving for the road.

The right tires

Many drivers just don't pay attention and don't think tires are that important. Over 50% of drivers drive with the wrong tires. That is, either too worn or another size, with the wrong pressure or for the wrong season.

If you are traveling with your family and you want to make sure that your chances of avoiding an accident increase exponentially, check your car tires. That is, if it is summer, make sure you have summer tires with a minimum profile of 4–5 mm. Also check the pressure on all tires, including the spare part, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Tires save lives, it's a reality. If you do not have good tires, when there is an emergency, braking, or sudden avoidance of the steering wheel, you lose control of the car or get into the car in front. Quality tires offer a faster stop, and in case of emergency, they allow you to make avoidance maneuvers without reaching the ditch.

Visibility matters

Wash the car before you go. It's not a joke! Because that way you will have clean windows, mirrors, and headlights clean. Visibility is extremely important.

So do not load your trunk or rear seat with luggage that can obstruct the visibility in the back, make sure you have windshield fluid and all wipers work, give up all crossbars and all windshields, to have the entire glazed surface only for you, just to look through it.

The windshield must also be in good condition, because if it is an old one and full of scratches, at night the lights of other headlights will lead to the creation of dangerous reflections.

With good visibility, you can see if there is a drunk cyclist in front, an unmarked cart, a car overtaking in the opposite direction, or a car coming from behind.

Interior settings

There are not many drivers who fail to do something extremely important, learned from the first lesson at the driving school. Namely, to adjust his mirrors, seat, and steering wheel well. Many drivers adjust their mirrors incorrectly, seeing in them more from their own body than what happens on other lanes.

He adjusts the seat too far forward or too far back, and the steering wheel… as it turns out. The idea is that the seat should be adjusted so that you can keep your hands on the steering wheel bent, not stretched. And never sit like an armchair, with your back too far back, swaying.

And not too low, because you will not see the road, but the bottom line of the hood. The steering wheel must be positioned in such a way that you can see the dashboard clocks, but you can also turn it 180 degrees without opening your palms.

With all these settings made correctly, you will have optimal visibility, you can make avoidance maneuvers in case of emergency and you are much more aware of what is happening around you.

Car lights

The law says you must drive on outside roads with the traffic lights on. Not for nothing are all cars now equipped with daytime running lights … The goal is to increase road safety.

That is, it is assumed that if you have the lights on during the day, you will see yourself more easily in traffic. Which is true. But the same goes for walking at night. So make sure all car bulbs are working. More precisely, the brake lights, positions, headlights with both phases, headlights.

I have seen several cases in which a car did not have a brake stop. And that led to chain accidents on the highway because simply another speeding driver did not realize that the car in front of him had braked.