College can be the most exciting time of your life! Unfortunately, driving in a college town can be quite the opposite. With so many opportunities to be distracted - scooters, pedestrians, running late to class - and with so many less experienced drivers on the roads, driving in any college town has the potential to be dangerous.
These safety tips can help you do your part to ensure everyone reaches their graduation with only happy memories!
Never Drive Impaired
This should go without saying, yet it is too important not to emphasize. There is no excuse to drive drunk or impaired by other substances. Even if you think you are all right to drive, never take the chance that you have gauged your sobriety wrong. Call for a ride share service or taxi, catch a late bus, or stay over where you are. Better still, plan ahead and choose a designated driver to get you home.
Driving drunk can not only lead to a car accident. It can lead to serious injury and death, for you, and for anyone else involved. It is never worth the risk.
Skip Driving While Exhausted
Exhaustion is almost a constant companion when you have class, homework, and a job on top of those. It is all too easy to ignore the familiar symptoms as you hit the road. Driving while exhausted is just as dangerous as driving drunk, and can have just as disastrous consequences. Catch a nap or catch a ride.
Buckle Up Every Time
Sometimes accidents are unavoidable. No matter how safely you drive, you can’t control other drivers. However, you can control your own safety by wearing a seat belt. Even the most minor accidents can cause serious injury if you aren’t wearing a safety belt. Seat belts saved roughly 15 thousand lives in car crashes in 2019 alone. Always buckle up.
Pay Attention to the Road, Not Your Phone
It can be tempting to check your phone when you receive a text while you’re driving - It’s just a quick peek, no big deal, right? Wrong. None of us are as good at multitasking as we want to believe. Texting and driving is as dangerous as driving under the influence. At 55 mph, you could travel nearly the length of an entire football field in the time it takes to look at your phone. The texts will still be there at your next stop.
Pay Extra Attention to Other Drivers
You have plenty on your mind when you hit the road, and in a college town, so does everyone else. Every other driver is busy thinking about their workload or or rushing to a class they’re late for. Pay extra attention to those you share the road with, including pedestrians, scooters, bikers, and automobiles. Always practice defensive driving, it can help you avoid accidents.
Already Involved in an Accident?
If you were injured in a car accident, particularly one involving negligent or reckless driving, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact Steven A. Bagen & Associates for more information!
