Steer Clear of Driving Trouble

It’s good to have an insurance company that will be there if you ever have an accident. But it’s better to avoid the accident in the first place.

Here are three of the best safe driving practices that you can begin right now.

1. Best way to keep from swerving off the road? Ditch your cell phone. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), after a review of more than 100 studies in 2005, talking on a cell phone increases your risk of a crash. Studies show that even hands-free cell phones are too distracting to use safely when driving.

2. Best defensive driving technique? Pay attention. Don’t eat, shave, apply make-up or deal with kids or pets in the back seat unless you pull over to a safe stop first.

More than one in four deaths on U.S. roadways involve hitting a hazard, not another vehicle, according to IIHS.

“Look as far down the road as possible and use a scanning motion to take in and analyze everything that’s close enough to be a hazard,” says Bob Schaller, an adviser to RoadTripAmerica.com and author of 70 Rules of Defensive Driving.

3. Best way to avoid a fatal accident? Follow the rules. The National Safety Council reports 66 percent of all fatal accidents are the result of “improper driving,” including:

• Driving at unsafe speeds
• Failing to yield
• Driving under the influence
• Running red lights and stop signs
• Following too closely
• Making improper turns