Along with your resolutions to exercise more, eat better, and become a better you, set a very reachable goal: Become a better, smarter, safer driver. You don’t have to do much to improve your performance as a driver on Michigan highways (or to help improve the driving skills of those you love). For those who need help determining how to become better Michigan drivers and prevent Michigan car accidents, start with these suggestions.
Put the Smartphone Down
One of the easiest resolutions to make, but one of the hardest for so many people to keep, is to stop texting and driving. In 2015, over 3,400 people were killed and 391,000 were injured in car accidents that involved distracted drivers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also reports that about 660,000 drivers are using cell phones while driving during daylight hours. Driving at night used to be the big danger, especially on poorly lit Michigan roads, especially on nights when drunk driving is more likely to occur. But every day – when you’re driving to work, to the grocery store, to pick your child up from school – people are driving while distracted. And that fact can be – and is – fatal to far too many people.
Talk to Your Teen Driver
Teens and young adults are the worst offenders when it comes to using a cell phone while driving. The generation that has grown up only knowing life with cell phones undoubtedly find it difficult to separate themselves from what has always been ubiquitous in their lives. Careful driving, however, demands a break from the cell phone.
It’s the role of the parent or guardian to talk to their teen driver about what’s safe and what’s not when you’re behind the wheel. Don’t assume your child knows what’s best. Common sense can elude even the smartest teen, and parental reminders are invaluable when it comes to helping teens make smart decisions.
Don’t Drink and Drive
It’s simple: Don’t drink and, if you do, don’t get behind the wheel. It doesn’t matter how tough you consider yourself to be, how impervious to drink, how completely in charge of your faculties you think you are – when there is alcohol in your system, your driving skills are impaired.
The risks that come from driving drunk are almost too many to count. From falling asleep at the wheel to driving in the wrong lane, having delayed reflexes to slow or poor decision-making, intoxication turns you into a dull version of yourself when it comes to driving. Being alert is paramount as a driver.
Take your responsibility seriously as a licensed Michigan driver. Be smart about your own driving habits, and pass on good driving habits to those you love. If you are involved in a drunk driving or distracted driving accident in Michigan with a teen driver or adult driver, contact personal injury attorney David Femminineo to discuss your case.
