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Published by Allen Brown
Few activities that play such a huge role in our lives are quite as unpredictable as driving a car. Many people tend to overlook the fact that, even if you are a good driver – not all depends on you. In fact, the number of variables that affect traffic is far larger than you’re probably aware of. The weather conditions, the time of day, the day of the week, the working condition of the cars around you. Even the mood of the people around you heavily affects their driving and hence yours as well. Of course, the worst thing that you can run into is a careless driver.
That being said – one careless driver can be the deciding factor for your safety while driving. This is why it is incredibly important for you to think ahead when driving. This is exactly why the problem of careless drivers has ensured that a lot of people actually practice defensive driving. In order to help you understand the importance of this practice, we’ll be talking about this topic in more depth in the following text.
Being Prepared Before Getting Into a Car Goes a Long Way
Oftentimes, certain variables such as weather conditions can take us by surprise. Even though this is not that important in general, in driving – it is incredibly important. This is especially true if you encounter a careless driver along the way. In fact, Ron Jebaily, a car accident lawyer from Jebaily Law Firm explains that 21% of all crashes are heavily impacted by weather conditions. This is exactly why it is imperative that you know the weather conditions before you get into the car. It’s even more important to do so if you’ll be driving for more than an hour – a lot can change in that timeframe.
Why Should You Leave Space in Front of You?
One of the golden rules regarding safe driving is to leave more space between you and the person in front of you than necessary. It might seem unnecessary to do so, but thinking ahead like this is a great precaution. Truth be told, this isn’t going to make a lot of difference if you have a responsible driver in front of you. But, what if you have a careless driver that brakes without any signaling in front of you? The same goes for a scenario where one such person is in front of the car in front of you.
In such scenarios, reacting on time is virtually impossible. This means that at least a slight bump is inevitable. Now, if you were to think ahead and leave more space in the first place, you can ensure that the careless driver doesn’t get you in a problematic situation.
Being Mentally Prepared for Carelessness
One of the common reasons for careless driving is, without a doubt, road rage. A lot of times, people tend to get frustrated, or even really angry while driving. Be it due to non-related stress, or due to someone cutting them off, things can get quite heated. In such scenarios, people tend to behave less rationally and can take risks that they otherwise wouldn’t. Well, the best way to avoid road rage is to work on it beforehand.
Working on this is purely based on working on your response to similar situations. Staying cool isn’t always easy, but knowing what triggers you can help you pinpoint those situations. That way, when you encounter a careless driver that cuts you off, you will be able to calm yourself down instead of reacting.
Additionally, thinking ahead means assessing whether you are too stressed to drive. Higher your stress level, the higher the possibility to react negatively to a preexisting threat of a careless driver. Doing so will elevate the possibility of a road accident, and you must avoid that. So, assess your readiness to deal with careless drivers before getting into a car!
It Takes One to Know One
Last but definitely not least – thinking ahead will help you reflect on some things that we all do at times. No driver is perfect, and all of us make mistakes that can be categorized as carelessness at times. The important thing is for us to recognize and understand those mistakes. That way, you will be able to spot careless driving behavior easier. Additionally, you will contribute to the overall safety of everyone around you!
In the end, relying on others just isn’t going to cut it when we’re talking about driving. There are too many careless drivers out there, and vigilance on your end is a must. This is basically the only way in which you can lower the risks for sure. That thinking ahead isn’t really all that time-consuming. And considering the fact that it can possibly ensure that you avoid a car crash – you can surely agree that it’s absolutely worth it. Drive safely, think ahead, and good luck!