Never Drink and Drive: Not only is it illegal, but it can cost you your life. While this may sound dramatic, just consider this statistic: in 2008, nearly 14,000 people lost their lives as a result of alcohol-related driving accident.

Don’t Use Your Cellphone: While it’s always tempting to see who’s texting you, when you’re behind the wheel, remind yourself to wait until you arrive at your destination to grab your cellphone. And although it’s best to avoid talking on your cellphone at all while you’re driving, if you feel like you have to, use a hands-free device.

Follow the Speed Limit: It’s always tempting to speed, but speed limits are in place to not only keep you safe, but to keep other drivers and pedestrians safe as well.

Always Wear Your Seat Belt: If you’re going on a short drive, you may think that you don’t need to wear your seat belt. However, regardless of how long you’re going to be in your car, you should always wear a seat belt, because you never know when it’s going to make the difference between you living and dying.

Check Your Blind Spot Before Changing Lanes: While you should use your rearview mirrors to monitor the traffic around you, before you actually change lanes, make you physically turn your head to check your blind spot.

Keep Your Car in Good Shape: Regardless of how safe you are while you’re driving, if your car has a problem such as worn-out tires or bad brakes, you may still wind up in an accident. By taking the time to keep your car in good shape, you can be confident that you’re safe when you are on the road.