Research shows that driving while using a cell phone can pose a serious cognitive distraction and degrade driver performance. The data are insufficient to quantify crashes caused by cell phone use specifically, but NHTSA estimates that driver distraction from all sources contributes to 25 percent of all police-reported traffic crashes.
Driving in bad weather is a major cause of accidents. When driving, particularly on a long trip, make sure to stay tuned to radio reports about weather conditions. Upon hearing that an ice storm, hurricane, tornado, flood, hail, or other severe weather is expected on the chosen route or intended destination, change travel plans. Any reason for going on the trip cannot be as important as keeping safe. If already in an area that is being hit by bad weather, don’t try to drive out of it. Seek shelter for both and wait for the storm to pass.
Increasingly crowded highways and traffic backups cause many drivers to lose control and become extremely aggressive. Upon encountering an aggressive driver: Don’t challenge them, and stay as far away as possible. Consider taking down their license plate number and reporting their behavior to police so they won’t hurt themselves or someone else.
Thousands of unsuspecting motorists are carjacked every year. To minimize the danger of being carjacked: 1. Think of saving your life first. Only then, think of the car and what’s in it. 2. If another car bumps your car, stay inside with the windows shut and the door locked and drive to the nearest police or fire station. 3. Don’t stop at isolated pay phones, cash machines or newspaper machines where that may facilitate becoming a carjacking victim. 4. Stay alert to people lurking near or moving toward the parked car. 5. Always keep the windows of your car shut and doors locked, whether in or out of the car. 6. Park only in well-lighted areas. To prevent the car from being stolen: 1. When leaving personal property in the car, leave it in the trunk. 2. Keep the vehicle in a garage (if possible) and lock the garage door. If the car is stolen, have the following information to give to the police: Year, make, model and color of the car, as well as the vehicle G tag number. Also, the approximate time the car was stolen. A description of anyone you may have seen loitering around the car before it was stolen can also be helpful. If possible, the names of any witnesses that may have been in the area at the time the vehicle was stolen.
