Driving is something of a privilege and we should remember that at all times when behind the wheel, there are many that forget that it isn’t something we are entitled to. Unfortunately, there are over 6 million car crashes every year in the U.S, if we break that down it’s roughly 16000 a day! That’s a shockingly high number that could be reduced if the general public had driving safety on their mind. It’s not only ourselves we need to think about when we are on the road, here are a few reasons as to why driving safely should be your first priority.
Your Own Safety
Let’s start with something that should be self-explanatory but is often overlooked by many people. Our job as humans is to look after ourselves by entertaining a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and minimal stress. This can be difficult at the best of times but to endanger your life by driving erratically is no more than silly. In 2017, speeding was the reason for 27% of all car crashes. That’s 27% of crashes that could have been prevented by slowing down a little bit.
We have to take care of ourselves and through the process of doing so, we will be able to look after others as our decisions won’t be detrimental to anyone. There are, of course, situations where you aren’t the cause of the accident, and you end up getting injured yourself. The experts from Malman Law explain that you shouldn’t have to dig into your savings just to pay the bills whilst you can’t work due to an accident that wasn’t caused by you. Starting a personal injury case could get you the compensation you require to stave off the stress of paying bills without a job whilst you recover.
Other Road Users Safety
It’s important to remember that we aren’t the only people on the road and driving safely is important not just for yourself, but for everyone else on the road with you. We have a duty of care to make sure we aren’t driving around like a lunatic putting others in danger. This kind of driving could cause serious injury, or in the worst-case scenarios, death.
It’s not just yourself that will be affected if you end up causing an accident that involves serious injury or death. Prison is a very serious place and you could end up visiting for quite some time for dangerous driving. Not only that but the victim’s family will all be dealing with the situation too.
Cyclists
Motor vehicles aren’t the only road users and we have a duty of care to everyone that uses them. Cycling has become very popular in recent times and you’ll often find groups of them out on the streets going for their weekly ride. As you can see, a bicycle doesn’t have the same protection as a car or any other motor vehicle so we should do everything in our power to ensure they remain safe. They have just as much right to be on the road as everyone else so driving slow when overtaking and keeping your distance where you can, will benefit everyone.
Pedestrians
The most vulnerable of all are pedestrians. Whilst they have sidewalks and areas to ensure safety, it doesn’t prevent them from being hit by a dangerous driver. If a pedestrian is hit at 40mph there is a 90% chance they will not survive the impact, at 35mph there is a 50% chance, at 30mph there is a 20% chance and finally at 20mph there is a 2.5% chance. If there are pedestrians around then slow your speed and be patient, you’ll get to where you’re going eventually.
Crashes Are Expensive
Let’s say someone had a crash and no one else was involved, there weren’t any serious injuries, but the car has been totalled. The fact that it has been totalled means that you can’t have it fixed, it’s a write-off, and if you rely on your car for anything more than social pleasures then you are going to have to buy a new one. That’s an expensive thing to do. Your auto insurance policy is also going to rise because you’ve crashed, and sometimes this can be the most expensive thing, especially if you’re a young driver.
So it’s worth driving sensibly and safely for your bank balance as well as protecting yourself and those around you. Having a crash is expensive in so many ways, don’t let it negatively affect your bank account too.
The main reason we should be careful when driving is safety. Our first priority when operating a motor vehicle is to ensure that no one is going to get hurt whilst we are in control. Due to the fact cars and trucks are so big, there can be some terrible outcomes when accidents occur so do the right thing and drive safely.
