5 Safe Driving Tips Everyone Should Follow

Here at Coastline Academy, our mission is to eradicate car crashes by creating safe and confident drivers for life. To help spread that message, we are sharing five safe driving tips that everyone should remember when getting behind the wheel.

1. Always Wear Your Seatbelt

Of all these safe driving tips, this is probably one of the easiest to do and also one of the most important. The CDC states that seatbelts reduce the risk of death by 45% among drivers and front-seat passengers during a crash. They also help cut the risk of serious injury by 50% during a crash.

2. Don't Text and Drive

Many people are glued to their phone, even when behind the wheel. You may think it is a quick text you are sending, but you are taking your eyes off the road to send that text. It only takes a quick second for a car crash to happen. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported there were over 3,000 fatalities in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2022.

3. Don't Drink and Drive

This should be common sense for everyone, but it unfortunately isn't. All 50 U.S. states have a zero tolerance law for drivers under 21. With this law, it is a violation to drive with a .01-.02% or higher blood-alcohol concentration, which means you can't have any measurable alcohol in your system while operating a vehicle. Drinking and driving causes deaths on the road, as the NHTSA reported there were 13,542 deaths from drunk-driving crashes in 2022.

4. Keep Your Eyes On The Road

When you get behind the wheel, you need to always remember to stay focused on the road. There are many things that can take your attention from the road, like passengers in the car with you, changing channels on the radio or your cell phone. Keep your eyes on the road and stay focused. To help with this, there are apps available to help lock your phone and keep you focused on the road.

5. Practice

While this one may be geared more towards teens and new drivers, practice makes perfect. Even professional athletes participate in daily practices during the regular season. The more experience you have in different situations, the more comfortable you will become behind the wheel. If you ever feel like you need to touch up on your driving skills, we currently offer driving lessons in eighth states across the country, so book your lesson today!