Auto collisions are no fun to experience. At the very least, a collision will disrupt your day and if you’re not lucky can cause harm to your car and yourself. When you’re out on the road it’s important to know what to look for or just be aware of that can potentially lead to a collision. You may be a very careful driver, but other drivers and objects on the road can pose a threat that you don’t anticipate. In a way, you can say that the best defense is a good offense. In this article, we’ll look at ways to avoid auto collisions and staying safe.

#1: Keep your car in good condition

A car that is not well taken care of is more likely to get into an auto collision because the car is not performing at its best. For example, bad brakes or work out tires will make it hard to brake in good time to avoid hitting the next car. A car with non-working lights makes it difficult for other drivers to see you at night. Inspect your car regularly to make sure that everything is running well. I’d suggest coming to one of our Davis Paint & Collision Auto Centers for a tune-up to keep your car running smoothly.

#2: Avoid flooded roads

If the past floods have taught us anything, it is that you shouldn’t assume the flooded road is not deep enough. We’ve seen on the news how pickup trucks have been carried away or how people have found themselves stuck in the middle of flooded roads. It’s advisable to go back and use a different route in these situations.

#3: Double-check your back-ups

The rear-view mirror and cameras have made it easier for us to look back when backing from a parking lot spot but many times they don’t show the whole picture. You’re better off doing it the old-fashion way because this allows you to see what is not in the immediate view but is heading your way. Another great tip is to avoid parking too close to other cars at the grocery store parking lot. This will ensure that you don’t have to worry too much about other cars and people passing by when you’re backing out of a parking lot spot.

#4: Avoid distractions

When you’re on the road, distractions such as talking on the phone, eating, applying makeup, and texting can be very dangerous. Distractions affect you in 2 ways. One, since you’re not watching the road, it’s hard to stay in your lane causing other drivers to swerve and avoid running into you. Secondly, because you’re distracted, you miss seeing the other driver who is changing lanes without looking or the car ahead of you that has slowed down. Either way, you’re just a wreck about to happen. Prepare ahead of time to avoid distractions. For example, if you’re going to be making phone calls, connect your hands-free device so you don’t have to look for your phone.

#5: Be kind to other drivers

When you’re out and about, pace yourself so that you’re not rushing everywhere you go. When you’re in a rush, you may justify to yourself running that red light or not following the rules of the road. These small decisions can quickly turn into very costly mistakes because you can either get hurt or hurt others jut because you’re in a rush. Keep a safe distance and avoid tailgating other drivers because it’s really not worth it.

#6: Use proper signaling

Although many drivers know they need to signal when changing lanes, only 65% do so.  When you don’t signal and make the turn, you put pressure on the other drivers to adjust quickly so as not to hit you.

#7: Look out for threats

Sometimes it’s easy to spot danger ahead. This could be in the form of a driver rapidly changing lanes, debris on the road, a fallen electricity pole and so on. Bu spotting these threats, you can adapt way ahead of time and prevent a collision.

Being safe on the road is more than just driving carefully. It takes being proactive to avoid an auto collision. I’ve shared some tips on this article and hope you’ll implement them so we can all be safe. In the unfortunate case where you get into an auto collision, let us restore your car to its original shine. Davi Paint & Collision Auto Center has been doing just that for almost 30 years now! Call one of our locations today: Oklahoma City location 405.733.9797, South Oklahoma City location 405.691.1820, and Midwest City location 405.732.0762.