Tips to increase your car's safety on the road
You could be the most experienced and careful driver on the road, but that won't prevent accidents from happening. There are inevitable accidents that you can't prevent from happening, but there are accidents that can be avoided if you take steps to increase the safety of your car, especially if you are usually on the road at night. Read on for expert tips to make your car safer.
1. Make your car more visible
It is prudent to make your car appear more visible, especially when you stop in an area with heavy traffic. Road safety reflectors are a great way to increase the visibility of your car at night. When another vehicle points its headlights at your car, the reflectors reflect the light back. They are an effective way of preventing fender benders and other road accidents. For trailer drivers, it is advisable to add a long reflective tape to the entire side of your trailer. This makes it easier for other road users to see your entire trailer as you cross an intersection. Road reflectors are cheap, and they greatly improve your safety on the road. Additionally, you can use other road safety lights, which include:
- Strobe lights: They make it easy for other road users to notice your presence. These lights turn in a full circle, which makes it possible for drivers on all sides to notice your presence. Strobe lights are very useful in case of any emergency or when you stop in an area with vehicles coming from more than one direction.
- LED emergency flasher lights: Normally, these lights are used on private cars of emergency workers who may receive an emergency call when they are driving. It allows them to turn their private cars into emergency vehicles. They make it easy to clear the traffic.
2. Keep your tires in good condition
Tires are among the most important safety features on your car - they contribute to your car's speed and the rate at which it brakes. Make sure you keep your tires healthy and have a spare tire in your car at all times. Follow these tire maintenance tips:
- Keep them properly inflated
- Ensure your tires are properly balanced
- Rotate them every 5k-7k miles. It allows them to wear at the same rate
- New tires should be put on the back axle, whether you are driving an all-wheel drive, rear-wheel, or a front-wheel car; your car will spin if it loses traction in the rear wheels first
3. Test Brakes and airbags
While getting your car serviced once annually is a legal requirement, you should take the initiative of ensuring that your brakes and airbags are working. These two are crucial car safety features, and they can be the difference between life and death.
Endnote
Your car will never be 100% safe, and there is always a possibility of an accident happening. However, the above tips can help you reduce the risks.
