Tips for Driving Safely Around Houston With Your Family

Whether you’re a Houston native or you’re visiting the city, you’ll want to do everything you can to stay safe on the roads. Sadly, Texas has a high number of road traffic accidents, with the latest statistics showing that a person is injured on the state’s roads every 2 minutes and 12 seconds.

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Although Houston ranks as one of the worst cities in the country for traffic, this doesn’t mean that accidents are rare. In fact, Houston recorded 66,998 crashes in a single year, according to updates from the Texas Department of Transportation. 

To help you avoid getting caught up in a collision, take a look at our top five tips for driving safely around Houston with your family:

1. Plan Your Route

Before you set off, be sure to plan your route ahead of time and have a clear idea of where you’re going. This is particularly important if you’re unfamiliar with the roads in Houston, but even people who live locally should stay up to date with traffic news and adjust their travel routes when necessary. This can help you to avoid notable dangerous intersections, heavy traffic, and work zones, thus reducing the risk of injury on the road. 

2. Use Child Safety Seats

If you’re traveling with your family, make sure that every passenger uses appropriate safety restraints. The latest statistics show that over 27% of road fatality victims in Texas weren’t using restraints, which means they may have been saved if they had been using appropriate safety measures.

Child seats can provide extra support for infants and children and may prevent them from sustaining serious injuries if an accident does occur. Similarly, wearing a seatbelt can drastically improve your chances of surviving a crash without sustaining serious injuries, so be sure to buckle up on every journey.

3. Avoid Distractions

Distracted drivers account for a high proportion of accidents, which is why it’s important to keep your focus on the road when you’re in control of a vehicle. This can be particularly challenging when you have a car full of passengers but making sure younger travelers are entertained on the journey, keeping the music to a sensible volume, and turning your phone off can help to prevent avoidable accidents. 

4. Stick to the Speed Limit

Speed was a contributing factor in 2,036 crashes in Harris County in a 12 month period but you can avoid adding to these statistics by sticking to the speed limit and adjusting your driving based on the volume of traffic and weather conditions. By doing so, you’ll help to keep the roads safer and reduce the risk of being hurt in a collision. 

5. Stay Calm

Driving can be stressful at times (specially when kids are not in their best behavior), but allowing yourself to get frustrated or angry can lead to accidents occurring. Even if you witness another road user behaving recklessly, don’t allow a negative mood or increased anxiety to impact your own driving. Instead, stay calm, take a break when you need to, and alert authorities to dangerous road users when necessary. 

Dealing with Car Accidents in Houston

Taking extra steps to stay safe on the road can help you to avoid being involved in a collision but it’s always good to be prepared for whatever may happen on your journey. Knowing when to seek medical attention after an accident or when to contact a car accident attorney in Houston will stand you in good stead if you’re ever involved in a road traffic accident, for example. 

What’s more – knowing how to respond to an accident on the roads will boost your confidence and help you drive more safely.