Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions? It’s not too late to pledge to be a safer driver this year!

The Lutzie 43 Foundation wants to encourage everyone to make safety behind the wheel a priority this year. Distracted and impaired driving lead to too many accidents and deaths on the road. By prioritizing safety behind the wheel, you can help make our roads safer. Need some ideas on safe driving techniques to pledge to practice behind the wheel? Keep reading!

One resolution is to never drive impaired. Ensure you have a clear head, one that is not effected by drugs, alcohol, emotions or fatigue. Do not get in the car with someone who has been drinking. This not only puts the driver and yourself at risk, but everyone on the road. Pledge to be a good friend and to not let others drive after drinking. Today, we are fortunate enough to have ride services such as Uber, Lyft, etc. If you have been drinking, do yourself a favor and set down those keys. Call a sober friend. An Uber. A taxi . Think twice before putting yourself and other drivers in danger.

Create a resolution to drive hands-free. Promise yourself to not text and drive. Send texts and make phone calls prior to turning your key. Even if you know you are going to talk on the phone while you are in the car, start the call to the person and set them up on the car’s Bluetooth speaker before taking off. When the call is over, ask them to hang up first since you are driving. Another technique is to create a playlist for driving, which allows you to drive hands-free without the urge to take your hands off the wheel to find music you like. Many people think that they can text and drive and text at the same time without consequence, but the statistics tell us this is not the case.

Another resolution is to always wear a seatbelt when in a car. Whether  you are going on a road trip or to a neighbor’s house, it is important to always click your seatbelt. Philip’s father Mike will be the first one to tell you that had Philip would have been wearing a seatbelt, he might still be with us today. Even if you are an excellent driver, you can’t see the future. You can’t control a distracted driver drifting in your lane, a deer jumping in the road, or a car unexpectedly slamming its breaks in front of you. The fact of the matter is: there are too many scenarios that you can’t possibly predict. You have to wear your seatbelt each and every time you get into the car.

Need something to keep you accountable to your safe driving resolution? Purchase a 43 Key Seconds key to keep in your car. This will serve as a physical reminder to take 43 seconds in the car to ensure you or the driver are safe to drive.