(NAPSI)—According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are 5.25 million driving accidents a year in the U.S.—but they needn’t happen to you.

What You Can Do

• Don’t use your smartphone while driving. Drivers talking on phones, hand-held or hands-free, can miss seeing up to half of their surroundings, such as pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists or other drivers.

• Drive “defensively.” Be aware of what drivers around you are doing.

• Keep your eyes moving while you drive. Check all mirrors.

• Leave at least two to four car lengths between your car and the one ahead, six or eight at night or in bad weather.

• Obey all speed limits and signs.

• Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or if you are fatigued.

• Always wear your seat belt.

• Adjust all mirrors and seats properly before starting the car.

• Use turn signals, and ensure your lights are on at night and in bad weather. Make yourself visible with horn, lights and signals.

• Look out for the truck and bus “No-Zone.” Those drivers have big blind spots. If you can’t see the drivers in their rearview mirrors, they can’t see you.

What Others Are Doing

Many of the professionals who drive trucks, taxis, limousines and buses are recognized for their attention to safety. For example, the 127,000 small-package drivers at UPS are among the safest on the roads, logging more than 3 billion miles per year and delivering nearly 5 billion packages annually.

In fact, the company recently inducted 1,582 drivers into its elite “Circle of Honor,” raising to 10,503 the number of drivers who haven’t had a preventable accident for 25 years or more.

Collectively, these drivers logged 14 billion miles and achieved more than 257,195 years of safe driving throughout their careers. That’s enough to circle the equator 547,000 times, or make 206 round-trips to Mars.

Before ever making a delivery, all UPS drivers are taught safe driving methods through the company’s defensive driving platform. The training continues throughout their careers. The company’s UPS Integrad training school for delivery drivers, and Driver Trainer School (DTS) for tractor-trailer instructors, boast some of the industry’s most rigorous safety training, with the most up-to-date technology, including virtual reality devices.

The company even helps those it shares the road with stay safe, through its UPS Road Code training for teens.

Learn More

For further facts about safe driving, go to https://sustainability.ups.com/committed-to-more/employee-safety/.

clicktotweet “Before ever making a delivery, all UPS drivers are taught safe driving methods through the company’s defensive driving platform. http://bit.ly/2HFcZG3”

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)