Road & Driving Safety Tips to Know Before Your First Road Trip

Driving safety is not a new concept. For as long as we have had automobiles we have needed to be vigilant and careful when we’re on the road. It is the duty everyone who is driving has to one another when using the great road system we have.

There are always new threats, sadly, with people getting distracted in new ways and new technologies potentially even causing a threat to drivers.

Why Should Everyone Be Careful and Attentive on the Road?

When you are driving a vehicle, you should be aware of just how much power you have. This is a huge piece of machinery with the power to do damage to everyone within and nearby. With great power comes great responsibility. You have a duty to yourself, but also to passengers and other people using the roads to be very careful and attentive.

It is easy to think you can control a car safely when you’re not really paying attention, because it feels like you are using so little of your brain when you drive around, but one mistake can impact the rest of your life in the worst case scenario.

The Biggest Dangers on the Road During Your First Road Trip

Aggressive or reckless drivers

They have always been around, but now we have the technology to do something about it. Ask a passenger to grab a photo of the license plate, or if you have a dash cam you can let this do the work, this can even be an important way to get evidence. Don’t get drawn in by road rage, instead, try to gain all the evidence you can and get yourself away from any immediate danger caused by a reckless individual.

In the modern age we can perform a quick license plate check to report to the police and learn more information about the person being aggressive or just driving terribly.

Constant distractions

Whatever you think about the current age of technology and the fact we are all chained to our devices pretty much 24/7, there are a lot of distractions and even notifications. A lot of people feel the buzz in their pocket and just have to get their phone out to check who is messaging them. This can be extremely hazardous.

Cell phones and other smart devices are being linked to more and more accidents. Taking your eyes off the road for even one second can be enough to lead to a bump or scrape, whether this is just your car or someone else’s.

Naturally, you can make sure you aren’t getting sidetracked by devices or causing any danger in this way, but it is hard to ensure that others are not. The advice for this is to be extremely vigilant and also it is never a bad idea to have the video evidence of a dash cam. This might prove if there is an accident that it is the fault of the other driver, if they have taken their eye off the road.

Fraud attempts

Unfortunately, there are always people who attempt to screw the system. Insurance fraud is relatively common all over the world and it drives all of our insurance premiums up. People will get in an accident deliberately or make out that someone has hit them, their car or their bike in an attempt to get an insurance payout.

Be wary of anyone acting strange around your vehicle or if you get in an accident, ensure that you gather evidence. Dash cams from other cars in the area can be helpful. If it comes down to it and you don’t have the evidence it might be your word against the person accusing you, even if they are being 100% fraudulent.

Integrating autopilot

Electric cars and cars with an autopilot function are not dangerous in and of themselves, but we do live in an age where an older infrastructure, not designed for cars that are driving independently, can be a stumbling block. Some accidents can come from integrating a car that has an autopilot or automatic self-driving function.

If you don’t want to have to worry about this and you have an electric car with this function yourself, you don’t have to use it. Always check the local laws about whether it is actually legal to use, and ensure you follow regulations such as remaining in your seat even when the car is doing the hard work of driving.

Conclusion

There is still a lot that could be avoided on the roads. Accidents are relatively common, and some could be avoided with vigilance and doing the right thing by other drivers. Protect yourself and be kind to others on the roads to ensure that you and your passengers are not in danger.

Author Bio

Ben is a Web Operations Executive at InfoTracer who takes a wide view from the whole system. He authors guides on entire security posture, both physical and cyber. Enjoys sharing the best practices and does it the right way!