Safe driving practices are of utmost importance. On average over 40,000 Americans are killed in car accidents every year and more than 2.6 million are injured. Safe driving practices decrease odds of being in an accident and decrease odds of being killed should an accident occur. For example, in 2005 more than 50% of Americans killed in car accidents were not wearing seatbelts. In addition, the financial cost of auto accidents is enormous, with estimates placing the cost at over $230 billion in the United States each year.

The cell phone is the latest threat to safe driving. Use of a cell phone, even a hands-free device, is equivalent to driving with a 0.08% blood alcohol (which is the legal limit). People using cell phones are 4 times as likely to get in a car accident as those who do not.

• Always wearing a seatbelt and making sure your passengers are wearing seatbelts.
• Maintaining reasonable speeds with the flow of traffic.
• No cell phones!
• Always practice defensive driving.
• Be aware of road and weather hazards.
• Limit nighttime driving, especially between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM.
• Never driving under the influence of alcohol, medications, or other drugs.
• Never driving while drowsy.
• Avoiding all distractions, including eating and adjusting the radio.
• Taking care of your car's maintenance including maintenance of proper tire pressure.