Every time you get behind the wheel of your car, the decisions you make affect your life and the life of the drivers around you. It is vital that you are both a responsible driver and a defensive driver.

  More than 41,000 people lose their lives in motor vehicle crashes each year and more than 2 million more suffer disabling injuries, according to the National Safety Council.

  One of the most important actions you can take as a driver is to buckle your seat belt.

  There is no question that there is a significant increase in serious injuries when patients are not restrained properly in their vehicles, said Joe Holley, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., director of the emergency department at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville.

  Drivers who fail to wear a seat belt suffer more injuries to the head and chest, Holley said. These are the areas you least want to see damaged. A broken arm may heal. A brain injury may not.

  On the positive side, Holley has seen many young children who have escaped injury in very serious car accidents because they were buckled in car seats. The key is to not only have an appropriate car seat, but to make it is properly installed, Holley said. 

  The state of mind you start driving with is important. Get plenty of sleep. That will have a positive impact on both your physical and mental well-being. You dont want to get three hours of sleep and then go on a 500-mile trip, said Jim Lott, district manager for the American Automobile Association in Memphis.

  Give yourself plenty of time to get where youre going. Allow a few extra minutes so you wont get stressed out if you run into delays along the way. Give yourself enough time to prepare for construction and accidents on the interstate, Lott said.

  Getting in a hurry makes us all more aggressive behind the wheel. Aggression can turn into road rage if youre not careful. Take a deep breath and dont become enraged if a fellow driver cuts you off or does something else that irks you.

  Remember that weve all done it at one time or another, Lott said. If someone turns in front of you that person probably had nothing in mind; it wasnt a personal act.

  And remember that operating a motor vehicle is a big responsibility. Driving is serious business, Lott said. Youre driving a 2,000-3,000 pound vehicle. We need to concentrate on what were doing. Our only focus is to be driving the car. We take it for granted; we do it everyday. Its our responsibility to follow rules and safety factors.

  Teen-agers and young adults should especially heed this advice, Holley said. They are at higher risk for car accidents. They often dont have their minds on safe driving, because theyre trying to be cool by not wearing a seat belt, driving too fast, and taking reckless chances.

  And most importantly, dont drink or take drugs and drive. Holley estimates that 20-25 percent of motor vehicles accidents that he sees involve impaired drivers.

  Take steps to be a responsible driver. To get motorists on the road to safety, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company has developed Decision Driving, a five-point program designed to prevent driving accidents:

• Expand your look-ahead capacity. Rather than always focusing directly in front of your vehicle, get in the habit of looking 10-12 seconds down the road where many potential trouble spots begin. For example, if youre on a highway in a line of traffic and you see a car ahead attempting to merge from an on-ramp, prepare for the cars in front of you to move over and allow the car in. You should do the same!
• Size up the whole scene and be aware of traffic conditions around your car. Continually scan for bicyclists, pedestrians, construction, erratic drivers, and changing road conditions. Avoid staring at any object for longer than two seconds and check your mirrors every few seconds. To avoid a potential accident, leave extra room between your car and the car in front of you if its driver appears distracted. One study, for example, found that drivers using cell phones were four times as likely to be involved in a crash as when the phone was not in use.
• Signal your intentions early. Use your turn signal, horn, or lights when appropriate to help avoid surprises. Your road position and the speed of your vehicle also convey important information. By giving advance notice of what youre planning to do, youll encourage other drivers to make correct driving decisions. And youll avoid annoying drivers around you, which may help prevent a road rage situation.
• Plan an escape route. Time your passing moves carefully, avoid tailgating and plan actions you can take to help you avoid a crash. Think ahead and allow yourself enough time, space, and visibility to stop or maneuver smoothly. For example, dont linger alongside a large truck, because your and the trucks escape routes will be blocked.
• Take decisive action. If you practice the first four principles, you will be able to react to most traffic situations in time and with enough space to maneuver safely. Make a decision, and then do it. Ultimately, becoming a decision driver contributes to you being a safer and crash-free driver.