5 Tips to Save Your Life on Orange County Roads

The purpose of looking ahead is to see any hazards that may be coming up. For example, traffic could have come to a sudden stop further down the road. Rear-end accidents are often caused by drivers who weren't looking far enough ahead to notice that people were hitting the brakes in front of them. Scanning ahead can also help you avoid debris in the road or that falls off of a vehicle in front of you. Look as far ahead as you can, whether that's 50 feet or a mile!

The closer you are to the vehicle in front of you, the less time you have to stop if they hit the brakes. This is where we recommend the "three second rule." Give yourself three seconds worth of travel space between you and the vehicle ahead of you. That means you have 3 seconds to react if the car in front of you slams on the brakes.

Remember, holding a cell phone while driving is illegal in California for a reason. Do not text, talk on the phone, fiddle with the stereo, eat a hamburger, apply makeup, read a book, pet your dog, or do any of the other weird things you do behind the wheel. Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road at all times and your chances of an accident will be significantly lower!

Always know where you can go to avoid a hazard. Monitor your blind spots and keep open spaces available in case you need to brake, swerve, or maneuver in any way to avoid an accident. If you allow yourself to be boxed in and something happens, then you will have no escape.

Confusion about who has the right of way? Disagreement at a stop sign? Someone cut you off? Give them the benefit of the doubt – and a wide berth. Nobody ever yielded themselves into a crash; rather, people cause crashes by speeding, letting their attention lapse, and generally doing dumb things. Take it easy, relax, and you’ll be at your destination in no time.