How is situational awareness important when driving?
Discover how situational awareness can be the best tool you have to protect you from getting into a car accident. Learn what it is and how to use it.
Everyone knows that distracted driving is a huge issue and a big factor in car accidents in Ohio and Kentucky. However, what many drivers do not know about is a tactic called situational awareness. This could be the best way to combat distracted driving and even protect drivers from other accidents that seem to happen in the blink of an eye.
Situational awareness defined
According to Harvard College, situational awareness is when a driver is aware of everything occurring around him or her on the roadway. It includes scanning traffic on all sides of the vehicle, watching the road ahead for possible issues and being aware of blind spots. Practicing situational awareness could lead to a huge reduction in car accidents. It is estimated it could reduce accident related deaths by around 35,000 per year in the country.
How it stops accidents
Human error is a common cause of accidents and a lack of situational awareness is present in almost all accidents that involve human error. This is why there is a push to increase the use of this tactic by drivers. If more drivers increase situational awareness, roadways could become a lot safer.
The Huffington Post explains that using this tactic enables drivers to better react to what is happening on the road. So, if a car in front of a driver stops fast, the driver is aware of this and able to stop his or her vehicle before causing a rear end crash. The practice comes in handy regardless of whether roadways are crowded or not.
Situational awareness enables drivers to avoid distractions and not be caught off guard by things that happen that often lead to accidents. Basically, it better prepares a driver to expect the unexpected and drive defensively, which means better reaction times and the ability to avoid issues. It makes a person a better driver with more focus on the road and what is happening around him or her.
New drivers should be taught
It is important that new drivers are taught situational awareness. It enforces the idea of not driving distracted and teaches them how to be more thoughtful drivers. Since teens are a high-risk group, teaching them from the beginning how to be more focused and aware when driving could save their lives.
It only takes three seconds of a driver being distracted for an accident to occur. If all drivers started practicing situational awareness, the roads could become a much safer place to be. If you have been in an accident or you want to learn more about how distracted driving is dangerous, you might consider contacting an attorney, such as Gregory S. Young Co., LPA.
