Five Ways To Improve Your Car Safety Now

The recent problems experienced by Toyota have certainly put the focus on car safety. But the problem goes far beyond Toyota, of course. While 19 deaths have been linked to accidental acceleration in Toyotas in the past decade, there are approximately 37,000 deaths EVERY YEAR on American roads.

So what can we do as individuals? In a recent car blog, Consumer Reports discusses five things that every one of us as drivers can do to be safer on the road. How many of them are a habit for you? Safe drivers can get better insurance rates, so to save money on New York insurance, take a look at what they recommended!

1. Buckle up. Wearing a safety belt is the simplest means of cutting deaths and serious injuries on the road. In 2008, some 14,000 fatalities involved unrestrained occupants.

2. Curb drinking and driving. Alcohol was involved in nearly 12,000 fatalities in 2008, or 32 percent of all highway deaths. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lives. If we all took small measures like choosing a designated driver or taking the keys away from friends who have had too much to drink, we can help prevent thousands of deaths per year.

3. Avoid distractions. Distracted driving rivals drunken driving in its danger. A University of Utah study found that distraction from cell-phone use (whether hand-held or hands-free) can slow a driver's reaction time as much as having a blood-alcohol concentration at the .08 percent limit. Nearly 6,000 deaths were attributed to distracted driving in 2008. Don’t talk on a cell phone or send or read text messages, or perform any other activities that take your eyes or your mind off the road.

4. Mind your speed. Excessive speed was involved more than 11,000 vehicle-accident-related deaths—31 percent—in 2008. Drive at the posted speed limit in optimum driving conditions and slow down when weather conditions such as fog, wind, rain, snow, or ice can make driving hazardous.

5. Know how to handle your car. Would you know what to do if your car suddenly accelerated or if you lost braking ability? We’ve found that hitting the brake pedal and shifting into Neutral is the most effective of regaining control of a runaway car. But to be ready for such a situation, you should become familiar with shifting into Neutral instantly, without thinking or hunting for the gear. Practice at low speeds in a safe location. Also, know where the emergency brake is and how to grab it or push it quickly.

6. Maintain your tires. Keeping tires properly inflated is an easy and effective step you can take to avoid a flat tire or dangerous blowout, which can result in losing vehicle control. Driving on balding tires is dangerous, as well. Maintain tread depth of at least 1/8-inch, inspect your tires and check the tire inflation pressure at least once a month, and have them examined annually by a mechanic as part of your vehicle’s safety inspection.

Doing all you can to be safe makes good sense. It also makes sense to make sure that you are appropriately insured for the unexpected. When you want excellent, low cost insurance in New York, talk to your friendly local insurance professionals.

Be sure to look for insurance discounts for Poughkeepsie car insurance: you get the same excellent coverage at the best price. That is something all of us, Consumer Reports readers or not, can surely appreciate!