How to Drive Safely on the Beltway

Auto accidents are a major cause of death and injury in the United States and around the globe. Car accidents occur more frequently in high-traffic areas, such as the beltways around major cities. What can you do to protect yourself from being involved in a car accident while driving on the beltway?

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Car, SUV, or other auto
• sunglasses with polarized lenses
• working seatbelt in auto

1. If you plan to make a new car purchase, make it one with a high car safety rating. The car safety rating can be obtained from the automobile dealer or online. The better the car safety rating of your new auto purchase, the less chance you will be injured or killed in a car accident.
2. Winter driving conditions require even more preparation for driving on the beltway... Make sure you are prepared for automobile safety before you drive on the beltway. This means make sure you have clean windows and working windshield wipers, working blinkers, and good tread tires, especially in winter and bad weather. Get polarized lens sunglasses to reduce glare while driving for added driving safety.
3. Try to get enough sleep the night before you are going to drive on the beltway. The beltway demands more attention than a regular highway or smaller road, and thus requires you to be alert. Eat breakfast before you leave, to eliminate any distractions of trying to eat while driving.
4. Practice driving safety tips before you even turn on the car in the morning. Adjust mirrors and buckle your seatbelt. If you are going to need to use the phone, have it ready beside you and have a bluetooth headset so you can have your hands free while talking.
5. Drive defensively. What this means is that you are responsible for avoiding accidents. You have to watch for others making mistakes on the road. Be adaptable for people cutting in front of you or swerving next to you. If someone is following you too closely, then you should get over into the right lane and let them pass you.
6. Drive offensively, and consider the beltway a driving safety course. Don't follow vehicles too closely. Give extra room in front for trucks, and watch for being beside a large truck on the curves on the beltway. Safety first driving can be key to avoiding collisions.
7. Time your travel carefully. If you can, get an alternative work schedule where you can come in late or leave early, and avoid rush hour traffic. Travel on offtimes or offdays if possible.
8. If there is a wreck, wait patiently instead of trying to drive on the shoulder. Give yourself extra time to deal with accidents, by leaving your house 15 minutes early or even a half an hour early.
9. A last beltway driving safety tip is to go with the flow of the lanes of traffic. If you stay in the left lanes, you won't face as much merging traffic, where many accidents occur. If you need to drive slow, stay to the right so faster drivers won't cause a rear-end collision.

Tips & Warnings

• You may not be considered at fault if you are rear-ended in an automobile collision. But, you'll still have to deal with personal injuries, getting your car fixed, and other headaches that are not worth it. Let vehicles pass you on the left, so they don't rear end you accidentally.
• Holidays are even worse on the beltway. Holiday safety travel includes being extra careful, by giving yourself at least an extra hour to travel and trying to leave very early or very late.
• A winter driving safety tip for the beltway also includes giving yourself extra time. If you slow down, you will be less likely to cause an accident or be in a collision during bad weather road conditions.