Summer is approaching, so you will probably be driving even more. More cars on the highway equals more automobile accidents. There were 35 traffic fatalities in Washington, DC in 2022. ***

Car accidents may also increase your auto insurance rates. None of this is good. 

The good news is that it can be avoided with careful driving. It may mean some changes in driving habits which may take time, but the payoff is worth it. Here are some driving tips to avoid car accidents so your car insurance rates won’t increase: 

1. Don’t drink and drive. It sounds trite after all these years, but it is so true. You drive impaired from too much alcohol and may be in an accident that could injure or kill other people and send you to prison. So, please, if you are intoxicated, do not drive. Have someone else drive you or just stay off the road until you sober up.
2. Don’t drive sleepy. Driving sleepy is the same as driving intoxicated! How many times have you driven on the Beltway and been so tired you can barely stay awake? It’s scary. We get on I-95 or I-66 or I-495 driving at 60-70 miles per hour and our head is bobbing and our eyes are closed for seconds at a time until we wake up and realize what happened. Instead, if you are sleepy, take an exit or pull over into the parking lot of a gas station or a parking lot and take a 15–20-minute nap.
3. Put the phone down. Have you seen those photos of the car accident where one driver was texting and collided with the other car? The texter was dead and the other motorist was critically injured and in the hospital. Texts can wait, and that means either typed or spoken into your smartphone. Two seconds of texting while driving can be fatal. Please leave the phone in your pocket or the tray between your seats. Text when you park or are sitting at the red light. 
4. Stop multitasking. Driving for many years may have you thinking that you can do many things while driving without even thinking about it. You talk on the phone, push the buttons on your radio, pet your dog, drink a mocha, or have a deep conversation with your passengers. Each one of these activities puts you at a higher risk of an accident. Your reaction time and vision decrease. If you’re a parent or an older driver, you are more likely to be multitasking. It’s a hard habit to break but you can curtail all of the activity and, instead, focus on driving. Yes, you can still drink your mocha or talk to your passenger, but always keep your eyes on the road. 
5. Keep your distance from the cars in front of you. While keeping pace with traffic and driving the speed limit, keep space between you and other motorists. Use the “3-second rule”: Pick a stationary object ahead. Watch when the back of the car in front of you passes the object. Your car should reach that object three seconds later, any earlier and you are driving too close. 
6. Get regular car checkups and routine maintenance. There is nothing worse than your car breaking down on the Beltway. It’s scary and dangerous. You may be able to avoid that by getting regular oil changes, getting your tires pumped, and getting a yearly car inspection. 

Practicing these habits does not guarantee that you will never have an accident. However, you can keep your car insurance premium rates down and, most importantly, be a safer driver. 

Lindquist Insurance can give you an auto insurance quote and provide the coverage you need, whether you drive a lot or not. Call (301) 694-0008 to speak to our experienced and licensed insurance agents for a consultation. 

We serve the Annapolis, MD, and Frederick, MD areas.

*** For more information on traffic fatalities in the District, visit the DC.gov website.