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It's a dangerous world out there, especially on the New Jersey roadways. Our team at Clinton Honda put together a list of some of the best tips to keep you and the drivers and passengers around you safe and sound. Stop Speeding Here's an easy one. Go the speed limit. It's there for a reason: to keep speeders from injuring sensible people. Speeding lowers reaction time and can be very dangerous. Wear Your Seat Belts This seems like a no-brainer. In fact, it should be a no-brainer. The majority of people wear their seatbelts in the driver's seat (not all do), but we're more thinking of the passengers as well. The year before New Jersey amended seat belt laws to require passengers in the back seat to buckle up, 73 percent of back-seat passengers killed in traffic crashes in the state were unbelted. For your sake, don't be dumb. Buckle up. The Elusive Turn Signal There's probably a lever on the left side of your steering wheel. That's your turn signal, and it helps all the drivers around you. It also helps you avoid getting hit from behind. Use your turn signal to avoid collisions. Check Your Headlights This is a two-for-one tip. The first is to check your headlights often to make sure they're still working. Cops often pull people over for driving with one headlight. Avoid the ticket by taking care of your ride. Know what cops also pull you over for? Not having your lights on at all. We're not sure if it's forgetfulness or something else that makes people leave their lights off, but it's a problem. Your headlights and taillights should be on a half-hour before sunset to a half-hour between sunrise (AKA when it's dark). When you're driving without headlights, you run a huge risk of someone not seeing you and causing a collision. Allow Me To Merge When you see drivers trying to merge into traffic, slow down and let them do so. The childish practice of speeding up to get ahead of the person trying to get in the line creates more traffic chaos and causes more collisions and is very childish as well. Be a good sport and let them in. Stop Texting Studies show that not looking at the road makes you run into stuff. We didn't research that. But it's the most obvious outcome, right? Looking down at your phone to text your friend about which sports bar he or she is at takes your attention away from making smart driving decisions. Don't hurt someone because you're checking to see how many likes your last selfie got. The encompassing theme here is being smart and thorough about your driving. Pay attention, make sure everything's running correctly, and follow basic safety procedures. Let's all get there in one piece, without losing our minds about the bad drivers of the world. Image via Nicholas A. Tonelli | Licensed by CC BY 2.0

When your teen reaches driving age, it's nerve-racking. You feel a bit uneasy about letting them behind the wheel on their own, and when you add in that this age group is the most susceptible to accidents, it's a definite cause for concern. However, you're going to have to cut them loose at some point, and the best way is to offer safety tips to boost their driving intelligence and reduce the chances of a collision or accident. Eliminate Distractions One of the soundest pieces of advice to give your teen is to limit or eliminate their distractions. According to the latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,450 people died as a result of distracted driving in 2016 alone, and 391,000 people were injured. To exacerbate the problem, 10 percent of all fatal crashes involving teens were caused by distracted driving, proving that a call or a text just isn't worth it. more While cell phones have become the greatest cause of distracted driving, the radio and infotainment systems on modern cars shouldn't be overlooked. Teach your teen to select a radio station before they put the car into drive, and instruct them to lock their phone in the glove box or center console until they reach their destination. Drive at Safe Speeds Another leading cause of teen accidents is driving too fast. Often, an inexperienced teen driver may want to look cool in front of friends or just see what it's like to put the pedal to the metal. Aside from distracted driving, nothing is more dangerous. The key is to teach teens to stay at the speed limit, even when other drivers are speeding. Speeding to keep up with the flow of traffic is still illegal, and with the increase in traffic, it can lead to a catastrophic accident. Always Buckle Up Wearing a seat belt might not seem like the cool thing to do for some teens, but it's essential in saving lives. According to stats from NHTSA, 60 percent of teens involved in fatal accidents were not wearing their seat belts. This staggering statistic shows the importance of wearing a seat belt and the risks associated with forgetting to wear a seat belt, purposely not wearing the restraint for social reasons, or believing that seat belts do more harm than good. Don't Drink and Drive Cases of drinking and driving have gone down drastically over the past several decade's thanks to commercials, public awareness, and other programs bringing the dangers to light. However, some teens and adults still choose to make this decision. That's why it's important to explain the dangers of drunken driving. By building trust with your teen and asking them to call you or stay put if they consume alcohol, you can avoid the situation altogether. Although drivers ages 16 to 19 are three times more likely to have a crash than drivers over 20, that doesn't mean your teen has to become a statistic. With proper instruction and these tips, your teenager can avoid accidents, tickets, and other problems that plague their age group. Image via State Farm | Licensed by CC BY 2.0