Five Mom-Inspired Driving Tips #Esurance

Driving is a scary time anymore as it seems there are too many distractions on the road.  Not only do you have to worry about what might be in the road or your own vehicle but you have to always be on the watch out for others. It's not easy trying to drive at times when you have your kids in the car because they also offer their own mode of distractions.  Sometimes they just can't help themselves and require immediate attention.  Being on alert is imperative when it comes to driving and watching out for others.  Based on my many years of experience with driving and helping to teach one teen how to drive, here are my five inspired driving tips.

• Slow down!  That is for everyone!  When you are in a hurry, not only will you possibly make careless mistakes but you might also get a case of road rage.  I found that when I'm in a hurry, I tend to get angrier when I drive so I have learned to slow down.  Slowing down is also safer from an auto standpoint.  Having a tire blow out going 70 mph versus 60 mph can mean the difference between life and death.
• Treat distractions as non-existent until you are safe.  If the phone rings, wait to find out who calls.  When you didn't have a phone, you still kept driving so there is no reason why a call can't wait.  Same with text messaging as it's unsafe and in many states, illegal.  There is nothing that can't wait until you are parked.  If the kids are causing a problem that is taking your attention, pull over in a safe spot and deal with it.  I've seen too many parents try to discipline as they drive.
• Buckle up and use appropriate car seats for children.  You always hear of so many people dying because they weren't properly seated in the car.  It takes a click to buckle up and you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to prepare for anything.
• Keep your distance and don't tailgate.  Even if it's illegal to cause an accident, it doesn't stop people from slamming on their brakes if you are tailgating.  When driving, always be on the look out for the other guy and it's one thing I really taught my daughter.  You have to always watch to make sure someone is not going to swerve in your lane, make sure they are going to stop and so forth.  Being on the defense is paramount to good car safety.
• Drive for the conditions is what my parents always told me.  I neglected that rule when in high school as I didn't realize the roads really did become slick with rain around curves and wiped out a telephone pole and a boat on a trailer not to mention my car.  Hazards are everywhere so you have to watch and adjust for the conditions at all times.

Driving is a tough time especially for the young.  When you are a mom, you have so many distractions battling for your time but when you are driving, paying close attention is the key to staying safe.  No matter what, most everything can wait their turn. Keep the phone away from you to avoid temptation, talk to the kids about car safety, keep the car maintained properly to hopefully avoid things like tire blow outs and most importantly, buckle up!

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*Disclaimer:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.