Each time you get behind the wheel, you are taking a risk. Although it is a relatively low risk, tens of thousands of people die in road crashes each year and more than two million people are injured in some capacity from these. In addition to that, road crashes are incredibly expensive, costing the U.S. an average of $230 billion per year, or an average of $820 per person. If you are involved in a car crash and are at fault, you can also expect your insurance premiums to rise.

 

It’s a New Year, which means you’re probably looking at ways to make improvements in your life. Driving more safely should be on everyone’s resolution list in 2017. If you have gotten into a crash in the past year and have experienced rate hikes with your current insurance provider, here are a few things to keep in mind courtesy of eTags. eTags provides insurance quotes in seconds and posted an article last year on how to travel safely to avoid being involved in crashes which keeps you safe and keeps your wallet safe too.

 

Don’t Drive Distracted: When we say don’t drive distracted, this includes more than just using your cell phone for things like texting. It includes fiddling around with the radio, eating food, or anything else that diverts your attention from the road. If you need to take a call or reset your radio stations, pull over.

 

Wear a Seatbelt: It’s most likely the law in your state. If that’s not enough motivation for you, consider this: Would you really want to take the chance of crashing through your windshield in the event of a collision with another vehicle or another object because you didn’t want or forgot to wear a seatbelt?

 

Check the Weather Forecast: This is especially important during the winter months when severe weather occurrences like snow fall are common. If it looks like the conditions are going to be bad, it might be a good idea to make alternate plans.

 

Don’t Drive Angry: This might be easier said than done, but if someone cuts you off, the worst you can do is get mad and start driving more aggressively yourself. Practice breathing exercises, drive with calming music on, and try other things to keep you calm when on the road. It simply isn’t safe to speed up, tailgate, and drive aggressively because you are feeling angry or even just stressed from other things you have going on.