10 Ways to Prevent Injury on the Roads

Stay calm

Your state of mind fundamentally affects the way you drive, so if you’re aggressive and impatient behind the wheel, you’re more likely to take unnecessary risks and potentially break the law. A calm temperament is therefore essential for safe driving, even if you’re in a frustrating situation such as a traffic jam or being cut up by another road user.

Don’t Drive Tired

Official estimates suggest that around 1 in 5 road traffic accidents are at least partly a result of driver fatigue. If a person is tired behind the wheel, their concentration is impaired, their reaction time is lowered and they’ll be less vigilant, alert and able to make the right decisions. A tired driver is therefore a danger both to themselves and anyone else who happens to be nearby.

Don’t Make Assumptions

While anticipation is a key skill when driving, many motorists can easily make the wrong assumptions. For instance, if you’re looking to pull out from a side road and the driver approaching from your right is signalling left, you may believe it’s a cue that the road will be clear for you to pull out. But in truth, the safest thing to do is delay your manoeuvre until you’ve seen them actually starting to turn left, as you’ll know for sure at that point that it’s safe for you to emerge.

If in Doubt, Don’t Do It

Drivers and pedestrians alike can easily find themselves in two minds about whether or not to take a certain course of action. Should I try to cross the road before the crossing turns to green? Should I try to pull out before that car gets closer? Should I accelerate towards the lights before they turn back to red?

But the very fact that you’re questioning it means you know deep down that it’s not 100% safe, in which case do not do it.

Maintain stopping distances

Tailgating is when the car behind doesn't leave the correct stopping distance, and it’s a major cause of accidents on roads and on the motorways. Often, it’s the car that crashes into the back of another that will be at fault for failing to leave space. But there have been some cases where cars brake suddenly in the absence of any hazard, so the car in front can be held at least partly if not fully responsible for the accident.

Drive for the Conditions

Whether confronted by heavy rain, thick fog or a blanket of snow, common sense plays a major role in remaining safe. Driving too fast and braking too sharply is simply a recipe for disaster. Bad weather can reduce visibility, affect braking distances and reduce overall control of the vehicle. So you must take extra care and drive with added caution when confronted by extreme conditions.

This means driving slowly and remaining aware of other motorists, cyclists and pedestrians at all times, maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle in front and using your lights as and when necessary. And if you’re driving in winter, never assume that a road has been gritted.