Your Vehicle; Driver Behavior; Your Driving, the Road and - Page 261

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Your Driving, the Road and 
Your Vehicle

Whenever we drive, we’re taking on an important
responsibility. This is true for any motor 
vehicle 

--

 passenger car, van, truck or sport utility.

Driver behavior, the driving environment, and the
vehicle’s design all affect how well a vehicle performs.

But statistics show that the most important factor, by far,
is how we drive. Knowing how these three factors work
together can help you understand how your vehicle
handles and what you can do to avoid many types of
crashes, including a rollover crash.

Driver Behavior

The single most important thing is this: everyone in the
vehicle, including the driver, should buckle up. See
“Safety Belts” in the Index. In fact, most serious injuries
and fatalities to unbelted occupants can be reduced or
prevented by the use of safety belts. In a rollover crash,
an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die
than a person wearing a seat belt. In addition, avoiding
excessive speed, sudden or abrupt turns and drunken or
aggressive driving can help make trips safer and avoid
the possibility of a crash, especially a rollover crash.
This section provides many useful tips to help you drive
more safely.