A few weeks ago and I stumbled across a survey from AAMI, which covered 3,700 people that had lodged claims for insurance and found that the top 5 claims were due to:
In the survey, many of the drivers indicated that they had changed their driving behaviours after they had been involved in an accident, with 45% saying they now drive slower and 25% of drivers upgrade their car to a safer one.
My Top 5 Ways to Avoid an Accident
1. Plan your trip and make sure you are well rested before you drive
2. Be comfortable and relax when you drive
3. Allow plenty of time for the journey
4. Listen to the radio for possible delays along the way
5. Be alert as to what is happening around you.
It is my belief that these accidents can be avoided or reduced dramatically just by doing a few simple things.
-
Reduce Speed – most people would know that speed
is one of the major factors that cause road accidents; - Use good time management – if it’s important, then leave at least 15 minutes earlier as it’s better to get there early than to speed or drive in an unsafe manner to get there on time or worse, never make it. When you’re running late stress builds up, blood pressure increases, you get distracted easily, and become more anxious;
- Get a good night sleep – being well rested means that you will have good reaction times and increases your concentration. This would ensure safe driving but also the ability to take evasive actions if others are not so alert.
- Reduce Distractions – things like phones, loud music or even conversation can sometimes be distracting. Try to reduce distraction and just concentrate on the job at hand – driving!
Understand that driving is a not a right, it is a privilege and we need to respect the road and other road users.
Let’s do our part to make our roads safer.
Source: AAMI Crash Index 2014