Safe Driving Tips For The Holiday Season

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

It’s the Holiday party season and Precision Tune Auto Care’s driving ambition is to keep Americans safe on the roads with their 25th annual Safe Driving Tips for the Holidays.

1. Don’t drive under the influence of alcohol and never permit someone else who has been drinking to drive. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the number of unrestrained and/or alcohol-related traffic deaths from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve increased in 2004 from more than 2,100 in 2003 to 2,237.

2. Wear a seat belt. It’s more than a law; it’s proven to reduce fatalities. Research by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that lap/shoulder safety belts, when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent. For light truck occupants, safety belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 60 percent and moderate-to-critical injury by 65 percent.

3. Avoid driving while you are fatigued or taking medication that will make you drowsy. The NHTSA conservatively estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses. According to the National Sleep Foundation's 2005 Sleep in America poll, 60% of adult drivers – about 168 million people – say they have driven a vehicle while feeling drowsy in the past year, and more than one-third, (37% or 103 million people), have actually fallen asleep at the wheel! In fact, of those who have nodded off, 13% say they have done so at least once a month. Four percent – approximately eleven million drivers – admit they have had an accident or near accident because they dozed off or were too tired to drive.

4. Drive defensively and maintain the speed limit. According to NHTSA, speeding-related crashes resulted in 13,192 fatalities in 2004. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, 2005)

5. Anticipate problems before they happen. On the highway, be alert to potential acts that may cause crashes and adjust driving and speed accordingly.

6. Keep an emergency kit in your car, including a call-for-help sign, a flare and a first-aid kit.

7. Practice routine car maintenance to avoid highway breakdowns, including a check on brakes, hoses, belts, horn, windshield solvent, wipers and headlights. Keep your vehicle properly lubricated, tuned and oiled. Never mix radial tires with other types of tires, and make sure your tires, including your spare, are properly inflated as recommended in your owner’s manual.

8. Emergencies occur. Be ready with a charged operable cellular phone, but don’t use the phone while you are driving. According to the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, drivers talking on their phones are responsible for about 6 percent of U.S. auto accidents each year, killing an estimated 2,600 people and injuring 330,000.

9. For front-wheel skids, wait for the front wheels to grip the road before straightening the car; for rear-wheel skids, just before the rear wheels stop skidding, counter steer until you regain the desired direction.

10. Maintain safe following distance in relation to existing weather conditions. Drive defensively and reduce speed to a safe pace.

Leni Kass has been in marketing and public relations for over 15 years. Previously, she worked with teens, and facilitated a therapy group for adolescents with eating disorders. She is cofounder and CEO of Hey U.G.L.Y., Inc. NFP, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that empowers teens with self-esteem building tools, to help them counter challenges such as eating disorders, bullying, violence, substance abuse and suicide. U.G.L.Y. is an acronym that stands for meaning Unique Gifted Lovable You.