The ability to drive is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing: driving allows individuals to travel great distances over relatively short periods of time. The curse: every time you drive, you are doing so with the knowledge that an accident can occur at any second.

Car accident
The odds of having a car accident in one’s lifetime are all but certain. Therefore, it’s a good idea to do whatever you can to make your vehicle as safe as possible.

This may seem melodramatic, but a study completed by National Highway Traffic Association found that over a five-year period 25% of the population was involved in a car accident. While there is no way to guarantee you will not be in an accident, you can at least take measures to decrease the likelihood you will be in an accident and the chances that you will be injured by installing certain accessories and modifications.

Storage Accessories

 

Tissue box
A tissue box might seem innocent, but it won’t seem so innocent if it hits you in the back of the head when you slam on your brakes.

Is your car a pack rats den? Do you have loose items laying on your car’s seats or the rear dash? If you answered yes to these questions then you may need to invest in some storage accessories. Loose items can easily become projectiles that will shoot through the car if you crash or slam on the brakes. The occupant of the car who is unlucky enough to be in the items path can be injured by an item as small as a water bottle.

You can solve this problem by purchasing storage accessories for your vehicle. Car storage organizers tend to run about $10 to $30 depending on the material, brand, and type purchased. You have 3 main options: a trunk, visor, or back seat organizer.

Pillow or Pad

Are you a vertically challenged driver? Do you find yourself craning to see over the steering wheel? If you answered yes to both questions, your height might affect your safety while driving. People of shorter stature (4’10”-5’4”):

  • may have larger blind spots due to the fact that they are situated lower in the car.
  • are susceptible to injury from the air bags. When air bags inflate they shoot out at 120 to 200 miles per hour. The force of that inflation can bruise ribs and lead to fatal injuries if the driver or passengers are too close to the airbags (for safe airbag use it is recommended that there be 10” of distance between the steering wheel and the driver).

Sitting on a pillow or a pad will provide the elevation necessary to eliminate blind spots and increase the distance between the steering wheel and the driver slightly.

Fog Lights

Fog is one hazard of the road that some locations cannot escape. Why is fog so dangerous? Fog is dangerous because it severely limits your ability to see your surroundings while driving. Fog lights when installed correctly can allow you to see further than your regular head lights.

Fog
Fog can be dangerous (after all, it can sink ships). Therefore, fog lights are never a bad idea. Image copyright Nantaskart

Regular head lights have a very limited effect on your ability to see your surroundings because they shine directly into the fog. When the light from your headlight hits the water particles that make up the fog, it reflects in all directions which can decrease visibility slightly.

Fog lights are installed either on or below the bumper. They are positioned to shine their light down towards the road. Due to the fact that fog hovers 12 to 18 inches above the road, the fog light is not reflected which will increase the range of your vision.

Window Tint

One method of increasing your personal safety is by installing window tint. Window tint is a combination of strong polyester and metalized coatings. It is attached to the windows of your car with an adhesive. Once it is applied the window tint

  • reduces the glare by regulating the amount of light allowed into the vehicle. The reduced glare will increase your ability to see while driving at inopportune times.
  • reduces the heat allowed into the vehicle through the windows. This can prevent heat exhaustion during long summer car rides if your vehicle does not have air conditioning.

Remember that the stronger the window tint is the more light and heat it will prevent from entering your windows. Window tint that is too strong can prevent you from seeing through the window at night. Due to that fact, many states have window tinting laws. Adhering to the laws will ensure the safe use of window tint, and ensure that your window tint will ensure your safety at all times.