Ways to prevent getting in a car crash

6 Tips for Avoiding Car Crashes

Right there with the ambulance, firetruck and police car, the tow truck is an unfortunate witness to some horrible car crashes. Although we must do it, it never feels nice to do collision towing after a horrible wreck. We're lucky in Victoria BC that drivers tend to be a lot more careful than other cities, yet these next 6 rules to help you avoid getting into vehicle collisions are universal.

1. Keep the music or podcast at a reasonable volume. We all love to listening to something, especially during longer drives, but by having the volume too loud it'll be hard to hear events around you on the road. If someone's car horn honk sounds like a trumpet in your smooth jazz soundtrack, then you might miss out on warnings people are giving, or worse the screech of a breaking bus.
2. Avoid emotional conversations. Most cities around the world tolerate talking between driver and passenger, but not so much when these conversations in the car stir up unsafe driving scenarios. It's hard to think about the traffic up ahead when your friend is going off about how he's going to sue you. In such cases, pull over and only resume driving when all passions are cleared and you have a level head.
3. Don't drink alcohol or too much caffeine. We all know that drinking and driving is bad and runs the risk of accidents, but what a lot of people don't know is that too much coffee or energy drinks can also lead to risky scenarios on the road. You might be more eager to cut a yellow light after drinking 3 coffees, and these kinds of decisions are what increase the chances of a car crash.
4. Don't panic. When you see the potential of a car crash coming up ahead, stay calm and make the right decision. Panicking can lead to freezing and forgetting to hit the breaks. If you stay calm while you think or know you're about to crash, remember your driving training from high school and break, veer, or do what you must instead of just screaming!
5. Get a safety inspection on your vehicle every year. At Victoria Tow Truck Service we routinely inspect all the vehicles in our fleet to make sure their roadworthy and safe for driving. This includes making sure all our vehicles have certified airbags to the latest standard. Airbag technology has improved immensely so if you're driving an old car you must be aware of this fact. A safety inspection will also let you know if your tires or break pads need to be replaced, and waiting too long to do these can result in a horrible car accident.
6. Avoid using your phone as much as possible. Even if you're quickly answering a speaker call, that 2 seconds of looking away from the road could be a deer or child chasing a ball across your path. Especially on bendy and twisty roads, you could miss a vital turn just by looking away for one second, or overlook a hidden driveway. It's easy to jut say "using your phone while driving is bad", and do it anyway until it's too late. Don't be an idiot; put your phone away!

Thanks for reading these tips on preventing car accidents. We hope you got inspired to drive more safely.