Avoiding car accidents and their attendant broken bones, spinal cord injuries, burn injuries, head injuries, and other serious injuries is not just luck. In many cases, knowing a little bit extra and being a little more prepared can help you avoid a collision. Here are some tips for becoming a savvy driver:

1) Figure out where people tend to run red lights and stop signs on your regular routes. There are likely high-collision intersections and areas where you drive. Figure out where they are. Usually, simply by taking note of traffic accident reports or by making a call to the local paper or police station, you can get a list of the most-run intersections and stop signs in a city. Use extra caution at these areas and account for drivers who may be running red lights or stop signs.

2) Check weather and traffic reports before stepping into your car. It’s a good habit to get into, especially since today you can often get a traffic and weather report from your mobile device or your laptop. Knowing what you have to contend with can give you that extra edge behind the wheel.

3) Know your vehicle. Get to know your car and how it handles in every situation. Every vehicle handles a little bit different and knowing how your car handles can help you adjust your driving to your car. Knowing how quickly your car takes to brake, for example, is essential if you want to prevent an accident.

4) Get to know the drivers around you. As you drive, keep an eye out not only on the traffic, but on the habits of drivers around you. A car that is drifting in its lane, for example, could have a tired or distracted driver. You might want to allow more space between yourself and that driver. If a driver seems very aggressive, you will want to stay away from that driver – and his or her vehicle.

5) Get a tip from race car drivers. Taking racing school or classes is not only fun, but it also teaches you how to respond very quickly in various crash situations. Drivers who take racing school also learn a whole new respect for the car.