Car crashes are an unfortunate reality of driving, but they don’t have to be yours. Here are a few things to think about to prevent an accident, and on-road considerations.

Scenarios to help you avoid a crash while driving:

Avoiding a crash when you’re stationary

If you’re stationary and turning from a main road onto another road, always have your wheels straight. This prevents you from turning into oncoming traffic if you’re nudged from behind, or you suddenly accelerate by mistake.

If you’re stationary in heavy traffic, always stay alert by using your mirrors to see what’s happening behind you. If others aren’t concentrating you can use your mirrors to avoid them if they start to edge forwards or backwards.

Avoiding a crash when you’re moving

Swerving suddenly to avoid something on the road such as a lost animal is a common cause of crashes and accidents, especially at speed. Sadly, hitting that sweet Peter Rabbit may be the only way to prevent yourself being in a serious accident. Even if you’re an animal lover you have to think; him or me?

Keeping both hands on the wheel is a good way to help avoid a crash while moving, as it ensures you’re already prepared to manoeuvre in traffic. While you may feel dorky keeping your hands at the ’10 and 2’ positions on the wheel, that posture is invented for a reason as it’s the ‘ready’ position for driving.

Avoiding injury when a crash is imminent

Sometimes heavy vehicles with trailers or caravans aren’t used to managing the extra weight and end up out of control even in heavy traffic. If someone behind you is getting too close and they’re honking and can’t stop but you’re stuck in traffic, turn your wheels so your car is on an angle to get out of the way as much as possible. You’ll still get a ding in your car, but the slow speed and the new angle will help minimise the damage.

Always wear a seatbelt properly. This sounds so basic, but many people thread their arm over the diagonal belt as it’s more comfortable, which makes the belt useless. If an accident is about to happen and you can see it coming, wearing your seatbelt properly reduces your risk of serious injury by up to 50%.

Prevent a car crash by:

1. Watching your speed

Speed is the most important aspect of driving when staying safe. It’s not only about sticking to the speed limit either, the speed you drive should also depend on conditions. Even if you’re driving in a 60km/hr zone, if it’s very wet or foggy, you can adjust your speed so you feel comfortable and safe.

2. Don’t drive when you’re tired

Driving when tired has a huge impact on your ability to think quickly, and is one of the main causes of fatalities on the road in Victoria, Australia. Did you know:

• If you’ve been awake for 17 hours straight, you face the same risk of a crash as a person with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.05g/100ml. This means you’re twice as likely to have an accident as a person with a BAC of 0, or someone who is not fatigued.

Uber has become so popular, there’s no reason why you need to drive when you’re exhausted.

3. Avoiding driving in conditions you can’t manage

Heavy rain, snow, ice and fog make your risk of being in a car accident much higher. As soon as the outside conditions are different to what you’re used to, you’ll need to concentrate much harder to complete your journey. Staying home may be a better option, or use Uber of course.

4. Avoiding distraction

Smart phones are one of the best modern inventions, but they are also dangerous when paired with driving. Using your phone while driving is illegal, but many people still attempt to text and drive in slow traffic. Commenting on that cute Instagram post can wait.

You’re a good driver, but it’s easy to get complacent. Try the tips above to steer out of harms way and stay safe when driving.