Wednesday, 04 March, 2015
Image from Zzyzx11 under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
On Tuesday, March 3, 2015, a truck driver died in a burning box truck. The box truck collided into a parked Edison dump truck as the driver was trying to merge into a single lane. Luckily, there was nobody in the Edison truck as the workers were doing electrical utility repairs on the streets nearby. However, this tragic accident in our hometown of Visalia, CA reminds us of the risks we take every day when driving. Here are 4 simple reminders to ourselves to keep us and others safe while driving.
1. Slow Down
It’s easy to forget how dangerous speeding is, especially when we’re so busy with our everyday lives. Time is precious, and we never seem to have enough of it in one day. However, even going 5 miles faster than the recommended speed limit makes it harder to control your vehicle. It’s harder to steer and your reaction time is cut down. Simply slowing down will help you gain control of your vehicle and lessen potential damage.
2. Keep Your Distance
Keeping your distance ties in closely with slowing down. Ensuring there’s enough room between you and the vehicle in front of you gives you enough time to react if they pull a sudden emergency brake. It also gives the vehicle behind you plenty of time to brake if they’re tailgaiting you. Giving ample space between you and the vehicle in front of you also allows for safer merging situations, and helps prevent traffic.
3. Check Your Mirrors
Your mirrors are your eyes when driving and merging lanes. Check your mirrors often to see what’s going on to the sides of you and behind you. You can use your mirrors to see how fast the cars in the next lane are going, and make an informed judgment on whether or not it’s safe to merge. Even with mirrors, you should turn your head around and check your blind spots while keeping aware of the situation in front of you.
4. Use Your Blinkers
Nobody likes surprises when driving. When you don’t use your signal lights, it makes for unnecessary stressful situations for other drivers. Other drivers won’t know that you’re trying to merge into their lane, and they won’t bother slowing down or speeding up to make room for you, which makes for high chances of car accidents.
Although, there are new safety features such as the Lane Change Assist, Blind Spot Detection, and Collision Warning systems that are now standard in new vehicles, it’s still important to practice safe driving habits. For questions about driver assist features on a new Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or Ram vehicle, contact us or visit our dealership at Lampe Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Visalia, CA today.
While great effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, errors can occur. Please verify all pricing information with a customer service representative. This is easily done by calling us or visiting us at the dealership.
Customer may not qualify for ALL Rebates shown. Some rebates are stackable and others can and cannot be combined. See Dealer For Complete Details.
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