How to be safer on road

While summer officially began June 21, the summer driving season has been in full effect for nearly a month now. With the increase in the number of cars on the road, the chances for accidents increase as well.

In 2012, there were more than 34,000 fatalities as a result of car accidents nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That was a 5 percent increase over the previous year.

In Arkansas, since Memorial Day weekend, there have been 50 fatalities statewide, including multiple fatalities in the Blytheville area and northeast Arkansas in just the past two weeks. The Bootheel of Missouri has had five fatalities and 12 accidents listed as "serious" over that same time period.

While there will always be the chance of an accident every time one takes the wheel, there are some steps drives can take to see that the chances of being in an accident drop dramatically.

There are some tips that seem rather obvious, like not eating or drinking while driving, using mobile devices, adjusting the radio and paying too much attention to passengers. But there are also some less obvious but very practical tips that will help make the family road trip much more safe and enjoyable.

The Castrol automotive product website www.castrol.com gives four other tips to a safer road trip than the ones already listed.

1. Secure loose items

Automobiles can become full of clutter during long periods of driving. Empty bottles, aluminum cans, CDs and even food can become dangerous items if they are left unsecured and a vehicle must come to a sudden stop after traveling 60 mph or more.

According to the website, "even a half-pound article, when moving at speeds of 60 mph, can have the impact of a 30-pound object." So, have somewhere to store potentially loose items, including people, and buckle up.

2. Guard your space

Make sure you are at least 2 seconds behind the car ahead of you. If you are closer than 2 seconds, you don't have enough space. This can be critical if traffic comes to a sudden stop areas like construction zones or if there is an accident scene on the road. In heavy traffic areas, avoid aggressive driving tactics, like tailgating and jockeying for a space.

3. Watch for weekend warriors

While cars may rule the road, there are plenty of cyclists, roller bladers, bikers and runners out on the nation's roads as well, enjoying the summer weather. Slow down and use caution when passing in case a biker or runner must swerve suddenly. Look at both mirrors when turning right because bike riders tend to ride against the flow of traffic, and never use your horn when signaling to bikers.

4. Treat large vehicles like "big rigs."

It's easy to take notice and respect the size of tractor-trailers and 18-wheelers. You know they don't respond as quickly and need a lot more room to operate. The same is true for RVs, campers and standard size cars and trucks with trailers hitched to the back. Use the same precautions and have the same respect you would for a tractor trailer.

Sources: www.castrol.com, www.nhtsa.gov and www.aaa.com

afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com