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What if great car insurance wasn’t enough to keep you safe on the road? 

Insurance can help you in the event of an accident. However, most Alabama drivers would rather avoid the accident altogether. To pull this off, you need to become a master of defensive driving. Whether you’re driving to Mobile or Huntsville or anywhere in between, defensive driving can keep you safe. 

Not sure how to get started? Keep reading to discover our tips for defensive driving in Alabama. 

1. Reduce Distractions While Driving in Alabama 

Defensive driving is largely a matter of focusing on what you’re doing. Accidents are typically caused by careless people. Your ability to focus can prevent a crash. 

To really focus, though, you need to reduce distractions whenever possible. That means not making phone calls or otherwise playing with your phone, not getting too invested in the radio or a family discussion, and so on. You’re also less likely to be distracted if you aren’t sleepy behind the wheel. 

Whatever you need to do can wait until you get to your destination. Reducing distractions results in a safe arrival. 

2. Plan Trips in Alabama Before Getting Behind the Wheel 

Sometimes, mother nature plans the distractions for you. Things like intense rain and the occasional icy road can make defensive driving in Alabama difficult. Driving on crowded roads in such conditions is likely to result in a car wreck. 

You can minimize the chances of this happening by planning your trips ahead of time. For example, you can check the local news to learn more about the weather, and you can use apps like Google Maps to discover if your usual route is going slow. If so, you can take an alternate route that keeps you safer and gets you to your destination on time. 

3. Scan Ahead Whenever Possible 

Understandably, most drivers focus all of their attention on their immediate surroundings. This helps them keep an eye on nearby cars. While it’s important to watch nearby cars, you also need to scan far ahead whenever possible. 

Scanning ahead will let you know about things like car accidents, detours, and road hazards (such as potholes) that may be coming up. The sooner you become aware of these possible obstacles, the more time you will have to react to them. 

By scanning ahead and giving yourself sufficient time to react, you can become a much safer defensive driver. 

4. Assume Other Alabama Drivers Will Make Mistakes 

If you really want to stay safe on the road, you can’t afford to only pay attention to your own actions. You also need to closely pay attention to what other cars are doing. More importantly, you need to assume these other drivers are going to make mistakes. 

It may sound a bit paranoid, but you should be thinking about what you will do if the cars ahead of you suddenly slam on the brakes or veer into a different lane. Normally, this kind of erratic behavior would be enough to start a car accident. 

However, if you assume other drivers will make mistakes, it helps you expect the unexpected and improve your defensive driving in Alabama. 

5. Brake Early When You Can 

Many of the people involved in car accidents have something in common. Specifically, many of them slam on the brakes when they need to stop. Such cars are likelier to hit vehicles ahead of them and also likelier to be hit by vehicles behind them. 

If you want to become a better defensive driver, get into the habit of applying brakes sooner rather than later. This helps you come to a gentle stop rather than a sudden, screeching halt. Speaking of screeching, make sure to pay attention to squealing, which indicates your brake pads need attention. 

This is even more important when you’re driving in rainy conditions. It may take up to three times as long to come to a stop, so you’ll need to brake sooner. 

6. Keep a Safe Distance While Driving in Alabama 

Some of the best tips for defensive driving in Alabama are also the simplest. For example, you can become a much safer driver simply by following the three-second rule. 

This rule states that, if you stay at your current speed, there are at least three seconds of separation between you and the vehicle in front of you. In the event of things like bad weather in Alabama, accidents, and detours, you’ll want to leave even more space when possible. 

Of course, this goes hand-in-hand with our previous tip. When you have at least three seconds of distance between you and the next car, it’s easier to brake early and avoid hitting them. 

7. Avoid Driving Fast in Alabama 

Sometimes, safe driving tips boil down to simple math. For example: in 2020, speed was a factor in a whopping 29% of all automobile fatalities. The faster you go, the likelier you are to get hurt or even killed while driving. 

The solution? Avoid driving fast whenever possible. It’s possible to leave early enough (especially when you plan ahead) to arrive at each destination on time. Not only will driving slower help you avoid accidents, but it might just help you enjoy the ride more when you aren’t traveling at breakneck speed. 

8. Stay Out of Other Car’s Blind Spots 

Remember when we said to assume other drivers would make mistakes? That’s the primary reason you need to stay out of other cars’ blind spots. 

Proper defensive driving in Alabama means you’re not likely to hit a car in your blind spot. If other drivers are not driving defensively, they may not check their blind spots like they should. That means if you’re driving in that blind spot, you could be seconds away from getting hit by a distracted driver! 

Protect Your Car With the Cheapest Car Insurance in Alabama Today! 

Now you know our top tips for defensive driving in Alabama. But since accidents eventually happen, do you know where to find the best car insurance for you and your car? 

Here at USAgencies, we offer the car insurance you need at the prices you can afford. If you’re ready to get car insurance today, come request a car insurance quote online. Or you can come to visit us at the nearest office. Finally, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and call us at 800-420-3712.