Sunny Day Defensive Driving

Thanks to Shelby Montgomery of KVIA TV for including us on this news story about driving while being sleep deprived.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a review of crashes resulting in injuries found drivers were 1.3x more likely to be involved in accidents if they missed an hour of sleep and 1.9x more likely if they missed 2 of the 7 hours of daily recommended sleep.

Here are some considerations and tips for driving while you’re tired:

• Focus on getting enough sleep every night and avoid being chronically fatigued during the day
• Reduce your speed
• Increase your following distance
• Consider avoiding driving on the freeway as driving on the freeway for long stretches can lull you to sleep
• Drink a cup of coffee or energy drink
• Roll down the windows
• On long trips stop every 2 hours, get out of the car, stretch and move around, rest if necessary

We were glad to be a part of this KVIA TV news story with Madeline Ottilie.

According to a study in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, wet roads can increase your likelihood of being in a deadly car crash by 34%.

We are glad to be a part of this KVIA TV news story with Madeline Ottilie. Here are some tips for safe driving in wet weather conditions:

• Slow down
• Increase your following distance
• Turn on your headlights to increase your visibility
• If your vehicle hydroplanes (the wheels lose contact with the road surface) don’t panic. Let off the gas and avoid slamming on the brakes. Steer your vehicle in the direction you want it to travel
• Avoid driving all together, or delaying your trip until things clear up