Driving is an immense responsibility. However, there are many elements of safe road use that most of us either learn through word of mouth or trial-and-error, if we’re lucky, or never learn at all. Beyond the things we eventually may or may not learn, there are a a number of life-saving principles in driving technique, vehicle selection, and road design practiced in countries with far lower driver death rates that most Americans are simply unaware of. Knowledge is power. In order to put best practices into action, we first need to learn what they are. This section is a collection of Vision Zero principles focusing on safe driving, safe vehicles, and safe road systems. For the equivalent collection of best practices in car seat safety, visit this page.
On Driving Technique (How you drive)
Risk reduction
- There is No Safe Amount of Alcohol You Can Drink Before Driving
- Why You Should Never Leave Your Car After a Highway Crash
- Driving While Sleepy, Tired, or Drowsy? Youâre Risking a Crash, or Worse
- Do adults need to use seat belts in the back seat for safety? Yes!
- Double Your Driving Safety by Cutting Your Annual Mileage in Half
- How to cut your risk of dying in a car crash by 50% overnight
- How To Survive a Head-On Collision â Slow Down (to below 43mph)!
- Vision Zero: Which speeds make car crashes unsurvivable?
- 3 safety reasons to drive with headlights / daytime running lights
- How to Drive Safely on Thanksgiving, Every Year
- Your Back Seat Can Kill You, or How to Pack Safely
- Speeding IS the Magic Bullet (for Safe Driving)
- A Head-On Crash at 55mph is Like Falling from the 10th Floor
- Only 71% of US Motorcyclists Wear Helmets, Only 19 States Require Them
Driving Safety by Age (Adolescence – Seniors)
- When Should Your Teenager Get a Driverâs License? Not Before 18!
- Two Big Reasons Why Lower Horsepower is Safer for Teen Drivers
- How Dangerous are Senior Drivers Compared to Teenagers?
- The Most Dangerous Drivers in the US:16-29 year-old Men
- Why Are Norwegian Drivers Safer Drivers Than Americans?
How to transport children in car seats (0-15)
Risk deduction in other disciplines
- Expertise is the Application of Experience: Lessons from the Calabasas Crash
- Calabasas Crash Lessons: The Benefits of Multiple Safety Systems
- Calabasas Crash Lessons: 60,000 Hours Knows When to Say No, Or How Expertise Brings Judgment
- Car Ferry Safety: Engines Off, Brakes Set, Passengers Out
On Road Design (Where you drive)
Lanes, Cameras, and Limits
- Which Road Lane is Safest? Driving on the Left, Right, or Center
- Why Red Light Cameras Make Streets and Cities Safer for Everyone
- Why Higher Speed Limits Decrease Safety, Increase Deaths
- Pedestrian Fatality Rates Increase with Speed, So Don’t!
- To Avoid Dying in a Collision, Avoid Undivided Roads 100% of the Time
- Rather than âBlame and Shameâ, See Road Safety as a Human Right
State, Regional, and Overseas Lessons and Comparisons
- Driving in Norway Safer than Driving in US (And Reasons Why)
- Norway: Where (Almost) No Children Die in Car Crashes
- Why Are Swedish Roads So Safe?
- Driving in the US More Dangerous Than in Europe
- Getting Hit By a Car is Like Falling Off a Cliff â Precipice Pictures
- Why Are Norwegian Drivers Safer Drivers Than Americans?
- Americans Drive More than Anyone Else in the World, And Are Dying For It
- Car Crashes: The Safest and Most Dangerous States for Drivers
- Swedish Car Safety Myths: Infrastructure, Rear-Facing, Driving
- In Sweden, Motorcycle Helmets are Mandatory. In Most of the US, Theyâre Not.
On Vehicle Selection (What you drive)
On Vehicle Size and Safety
- Your Big Car, Truck, or SUV Will Not Protect You in a Highway Crash
- Canât Afford a Subaru Outback? The Impreza and Crosstrek Are Just As Safe
- Small SUV Safety: A Honda CR-V is as Safe as a Honda Pilot, Per IIHS Driver Death Rates (2017)
- Small Car Safety: A Chevy Cruze is as Safe as a Chevy Suburban, Per IIHS Driver Death Rates (2017)
- Small Car Safety: A Honda Civic is as Safe as a Honda Accord, Per IIHS Driver Death Rates (2017)
- Small Car Safety: The Safest are Safer than Large SUVs
- Why Should Everyone Drive Small Cars? It Makes Us All Safer!
Safety Level Thresholds for Choosing New or Used Vehicles
- IIHS and NHTSA Comparison, Flaws, and the Passenger Small Overlap Crash Test
- The Best Safety Features in Used Cars, Minivans, SUVs: Part 4
- What To Look For in a Safe Used Car, Minivan, or SUV? Part 3
- How Old is OK For a Safe Used Car, Minivan, or SUV? Part 2
- How Old is Too Old For a Safe Used Car / SUV? Part 1
- Poor NHTSA Standards Encourage Seat Back Fatalities in Car Seats (Another Reason to Rear Face)
- Unsafe New Cars Still Sold Around the World, Per Global NCAP
- Your Classic Car is a Deathtrap, or Why Newer Cars are Safer
Car Safety and Driver Death Rate Comparisons
- Is 4WD Really Safer than 2WD? Not Per IIHS Driver Death Rates
- Which Prius is Safest for Families? Original, âCâ, or âVâ? Per IIHS Driver Death Rates (2017)
- Minivan Safety: Which is safer, a Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey? Neither, Per IIHS Driver Death Rates (2017)
- Which is Safer, the Camry or Accord? The Answer Per IIHS Driver Death Rates (2017)
- Which is the Safest Electric / Hybrid Car: A Volt, Leaf, or Prius? IIHS Death Rates 2017
- How Safe Are Your Passengers in a Small Overlap Crash?
- Volvo vs Subaru: Who Makes Safer Cars, Wagons, and SUVs?
- The Safest SUVs for Small / Average Families Per IIHS Reports
- The Safest Cars for Small and Large Families, Per IIHS Reports
- Minivan Safety Comparison: Sienna vs. Odyssey (2015)
- The Safest 2-row SUVs for Small to Average Families, Per the IIHS 2015 Driver Death Reports
- The Safest Cars for Families, Per the IIHS 2015 Driver Death Reports
Rollover Safety
- Rollover Crash Protection: The Safest Small Cars in 2016
- Rollover Crash Tests: The Safest Midsized Family Cars, 2016
- Rollover Survival: The Safest Small SUVs & Crossovers, 2016
- Rollover Survival: The Safest Family 2 & 3 row SUVs, 2016
- Rollover Crash Protection: The Safest Luxury Cars in 2016
- Rollover Crash Protection: The Safest Family Minivans in 2015
Side Impact Safety
- IIHS Acknowledges Side Impact Test Limitations Identified Years Earlier on CCD
- Side Impact Safety: Volkswagen Atlas Safest SUV of 2018
- Side Impact Safety: Honda Odyssey Safest Minivan Again in 2018
- Side Impact Crash Protection: The Safest SUVs and Crossovers (2017)
- Side Impact Crash Protection: Whatâs the Safest Station Wagon? (2017)
- The safest small SUVs and crossovers for side impact survival (2016).
- The safest family cars for side impact survival (2016).
- The safest minivans for side impact survival (2016).
- The safest small cars for side impact survival (2016).
- The safest cars for side impact survival (2015).
- The safest minivans for side impact survival (2015).
- The safest small cars for side impact survival (2015).
- The safest SUVs and crossovers for side impact survival (2015).
Budget Buys
- The Safest Cars Under $3,000 in 2014
- The Safest SUVs and Minivans Under $6,000 in 2014
- The Safest Cars Under $7,000 in 2014
- The Safest Cars Under $12,000 in 2014
- The Safest SUVs and Minivans Under $12,000 in 2014
Vehicles for Younger Drivers
- The Safest Used Cars for High School and College Teens in 2017Â
- The Safest Affordable Used Cars for Teen Drivers, 2016 Edition
- The Financial Realities of Choosing a Safe Used Car for your Teen Driver
How to transport children in car seats (0-15)
Safety Accessories
If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can buy my books here or do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can shop here for Canadian purchases. It costs nothing extra to do so, but when you shop through my links, a small portion of your purchase, regardless of what you buy, will go toward the maintenance of The Car Crash Detective.