Safe driving starts BEFORE you get behind the wheel

Recently, I was with some friends at a go-kart track. After a few races, our heart rates were up, our arms were shaking from controlling the go-karts, and we were dizzy from the exhaust fumes. Then we got into our cars and returned home. The ride home was weird! The car performed differently than the go-kart, and our steering, accelerating and braking were not at the level of safety that they normally were. We got home safely but reflected that our driving was not very safe.

Everyone who drives needs to make the choice to drive safely and that choice happens long before you get into the driver's seat. It happens when drivers decide that a particular activity will make them temporarily unfit to drive.

Drinking alcohol is the first and most obvious activity that can impair driving. The choice not to drink alcohol if you are going to drive is a smart, safe decision. But it gets harder when you consider some of the other driver-impairing activities or situations that aren't regulated by law and which people often do (or face) before driving:

• Go-karting is a good example. From now on, we're going to wait a few minutes after go-karting to get into the car.
• Fatigue is a serious problem that can impair driver skill.
• Conflict with family or at work can create stress that impairs driving.
• Some safe driving experts are suggesting that action movies or video games could impair driving skills by adjusting a driver's perception of control and excitement.

There are other factors that can impair your driving as well but these are good examples of some of the problems.

So what can you do about it? Since safe driving is a decision, you need to decide beforehand whether or not the activity you are about to engage in is going to impair your driving.

Then, prior to driving, you need to decide if you are ready to get behind the wheel. Are you able to focus, think, react, and control the car appropriately? If you are not ready to get behind the wheel, take a break for a while and address the impairing situation. If you're fatigued, take a nap. If you're stressed out, find a way to burn it off. If you're amped up from an action movie or high-energy activity, take some time to calm down.

Safe driving is a decision, and it's not a decision we make once we're sitting behind the wheel of the car and the keys are in the ignition. Instead, it's a decision we need to make before we drive – in fact, it's a decision we always need to keep in mind. Safe driving is always worth thinking about, even when we're not behind the wheel.

If your car is in a collision, Boyd Autobody & Glass is here to help. Our expert technicians can quickly and safely repair your car and get you back on your way.