Why is it that automobile safety has become so evasive…#34;motorists tend to view arriving-alive as a win, only to realize that the Game is a never-ending story. Once back in your vehicle, the Game begins all over again. Only the best-of-the-best will survive potentially devastating accidents through education, preparedness, and making a conscious decision to be proactive. Because after all, once an accident has occurred, it’s too late to do anything about it, with consequences lasting for many years to come. That is if you are fortunate to survive.

Most take accidents for granted and that arriving-alive is a right-of-passage, but for over 42,000 motorists in the U.S. that lose this game annually, and over 3 million placed on injured reserve with severe injuries, arriving alive would be a welcomed privilege. We live in an extremely competitive society, as well as being taught from our youth to win at anything we choose to do or become. So why do we continued to play the Game of Death with over five tons of steel in most instances, without the benefit of understanding that we are not on a level playing field-the odds are not in favor of living if we do not “play to win.”

Now, these words take on a new meaning if motorists playing the Game of Death and Injuries understand the rules for the Game of Life by preventing accidents proactively. The key word here is “proactive.” Once motorists are involved in an incident, nearly 99.9% always say, “I never thought it would happen to me or loved ones,” when all of the statistics indicate that if you drive, ride, or otherwise transported from one destination to another via any vehicle, accidents could happen to anyone, anywhere, and at anytime-no one is immune. Are you taking this fact for granted?

The question remain, do you want to win the Game of Death and Injuries on our nation’s highways and roadways by being proactive or do you want to continue to play the Game of Russian Roulette with your life and the lives of others? Time alone will tell, and from a professional perspective, in this Game, you should always “play to win.”

Here are some practical proactive measures to assist with playing the Game, and which is even more-"Playing the Win:"

1) Motorists should always be 100% focused on driving-avoid distractions such as answering wireless calls, responding to text messages, rubber-necking, etc., place your full attention on driving and arriving alive safely;

2) Drive with a “defensive posture,” always looking out for and anticipate what other drivers may do and how to proactively respond base on a worst case scenario-accident avoidance (a good offence is predicated on initiating a good defense).

3) Traffic signals and stop signs are everywhere, there is no avoiding them-so obey what you have always been taught, e.g., Red means Stop, Yellow means slow down and prepare to Stop, and Green means Go. At a Stop Signal, always come to a complete Stop and never, ever pull-off immediately when the traffic signal turns Green-chances are some motorists will attempt to beat the yellow light or simply speed up and run through a changing light.

4) Allow “aggressive drivers” to do their thing. Some motorists have a death wish, and if you are not careful, they will take you with them. So, always check in your rear view and side mirrors for speeding and aggressive driving vehicles, simply move over and let them pass.

5) Be aware of Road-Rage motorists-this coincides with aggressive driving, but not all road-rage is attributed to aggressive driving. If someone wants to go-ahead of you, let them, remember, a space or two behind may be a more preferred choice-who knows what awaits the position that vehicle is in, or if your life will be spared as a result of simply being patient because in order to remain in the Game, you have to arrive without incident.

6) Use the “roving-eye” technique-it will always keep you in a constant state of awareness and alert to what is happening around you. This technique has proven extremely effective, and assists with proactively avoiding an incident.

7) Post accidents are on the increase and becoming a serious risk to motorists involved in an accident. If ever your vehicle becomes disabled through a fender-bender or simply breaks-down or stopped on the side of the highway, you become a sitting duck for other oncoming motorists-especially if the incident occurs around a curve. Motorists may not have time to react, generally motorists have 3 seconds to spot you and/or your vehicle before impact if traveling at 60 mph. In this instance, the following is critical to survival and accident avoidance on the roadside:

8) Always have an emergency safety device in your vehicle to alert oncoming traffic of potential trouble ahead. “Being Seen” is the first line-of-defense, and is a critical proactive measure to accident avoidance. Technology has improved significantly in recent years to include “higher visibility safety solutions and products” designed as a proactive response to increasingly dangerous highways where disabled motorists or accidents that are high candidates for contributing to a “post accident” (accident is caused by an existing accident that creates a chain-reaction) are most vulnerable to death and injuries.

9) Don’t become apart of the problem, be apart of the solution to avoid devastating accidents. It’s simple, always think safety first, plan reactions to worst case scenarios in advance, and you will have the best chance of arriving alive. Because after all, with the many events that could occur between Point A to Point B and even Point C and beyond, being prepared place you in the best position of “Being Safe that results in No Accident.”

There is no reason to become overly sensitive to driving on our nation’s highways or to become dogmatic about driving in an otherwise safe environment when compared with the sheer number of on vehicles out there. However, thinking before acting and advanced preparedness has always led to a greater sense of awareness-leaving one to emphasize that the Game is Winnable, if and only if, you know how “the Game is Played.” Committing to being proactive is an excellent way to prevent an accident and arrive at your destination safely, and more importantly, alive.

Be prepared, be proactive, by all means Be Safe, and you will “Win the Game of Life on our highways.”

About the Author

Tony M Jackson is an expert on "loss prevention strategies and tactical safety solutions to prevent devastating accidents on highways/roadways--he is committed to saving lives and protecting assets (vehicles) from damage in dangerous environments. He is located in Atlanta, Georgia USA. To learn more about proactive safety solutions, "Being Safe Is No Accident" and/or to receive Tony's free monthly "automotive safety newsle