UPS drivers who have not had an avoidable accident for at least 25 years are inducted annually into their elite “Circle of Honor.” So far, 10,504 drivers , including Robert Gomez, Jr. of Tucson, have received this distinction. Mr. Gomez puts in over 100 miles daily (meaning he has logged at least 670,000 miles for UPS) and has delivered more than a million packages. How do he and other UPS drivers manage to avoid crashes and travel so many accident-free miles? The answer lies in the training they receive.

Before a new UPS driver delivers a single package, they must pass a demanding training program. Integral to this program are five “seeing” habits that keep drivers safe:

1. Aim High in Steering. Look well ahead, not just at the vehicle in front of you.
2. Get the Big Picture. Look out for things going on around you.
3. Keep Your Eyes Moving. Don’t fix your gaze—look around; use your peripheral vision.
4. Leave Yourself an Out. Prepare; plan an escape route if something unexpected happens.
5. Make Sure They See You. Use signals, lights, horns; make eye contact.

Two things you may not have noticed about UPS drivers, but that are important to their safety record, is that they rarely turn left or back up.

UPS drivers are taught to favor right turns unless a left turn is absolutely necessary. Left turns cause a vehicle to go against the flow of traffic and are more likely to cause an accident. A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) of crashes in intersections (“Crash Factors in Intersection-Related Crashes: An On-Scene Perspective”) showed that of “critical pre-crash events” (an event that made a crash inevitable), over 22% involved left turns. In contrast, right turns were reported as pre-crash events only 1.2% of the time.

A study in New York City showed that left turns were involved in more pedestrian crashes than right turns by a factor of 3 to 1. In addition to reducing the risk of collisions, UPS found that implementing minimal left turns has not only reduced accidents, but it also has saved millions of gallons of gas each year and reduced vehicle emissions (since vehicles don’t idle while waiting to turn left).

UPS drivers are also taught to avoid backing up because it increases the chances that the vehicle might collide with something or someone. In the NHTSA report “Fatalities and Injuries in Motor Vehicle Backing Crashes,” most fatalities and injuries were found to involve passenger vehicles. Children under 5 years of age and adults over 70 were at greater risk. Driveways were the scene of the greatest number of deaths from backover collisions.

Remember that if you cause an injury or an accident while backing up, you may be held responsible for those injuries. If you must back up, check your surroundings carefully and thoroughly before doing so. When you do back up, back as slowly as possible. Use your rearview mirror, side mirrors, and backup camera (if available). Avoid backing out of a driveway into traffic. Instead, back into the driveway so you can pull out into traffic when leaving. In addition, make sure your backup lights are working in case you have to back up at night.

UPS drivers who have the privilege of being a part of the “Circle of Honor” have shared their advice for staying accident-free. This advice includes watch your mirrors; don’t be in a hurry; focus all the time; get proper rest; when you’re driving, drive; and avoid distractions.

You may or may not put in as many miles as a typical UPS driver, but you can learn from their training to avoid crashes and protect yourself and others from accidents and injuries.

A worried young woman called our office with an unusual question related to car accidents. She wasn’t calling about a catastrophic injury, a wrongful death, or a car accident she’d been in—she was calling about an accident she was afraid she was going to have.

She explained she had purchased a new car in 2014, but had been having problems with the car stalling. She had taken it to the dealer several times with no success. They would check her car and tell her they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. She said knew something was wrong and she was very concerned. She had recently had a close call when her car stalled while she was going through an intersection, and she was almost in a t-bone collision.

The caller did not associate the vehicle recall crisis of the past few years with her car’s problem. She didn’t realize that her car could be one of the millions of vehicles that have been recalled over the past several years for defects ranging from faulty airbags, ignition switches, tires, fuel tanks, etc.

Our office performed an internet search of recalls of her vehicle’s make, model and year, and quickly determined that her car was being recalled for the engine stalling. She was in disbelief that the dealer would not tell her about the recall or fix the problem with the engine.

Is Your Car Being Recalled

Consumers can make sure their car is up-to-date on the latest recall action with a simple internet search. If your vehicle is the subject of a recall and you don’t take action, it can lead to car accidents that can cause serious injury or wrongful death. For example, some drivers who have been in auto accidents in vehicles equipped with Takata airbags, which shoot debris into the cabin of a car, have been killed and others seriously disfigured by these airbags.

To find out if your vehicle is part of a recall, enter its vehicle identification number at safercar.gov, which is a website run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If you find your vehicle has a defective part that needs to be replaced, contact the dealer immediately to schedule an appointment.

Caution When Buying Used Vehicles

Typically, consumers performing their due diligence when buying a used car take the vehicle to a trusted mechanic for an inspection and ask the seller for a Carfax report. Consumers should now add another step to their research and check the vehicle’s recall history. Again, it’s easy to do at the NHTSA safercar.gov website.

New Vehicles May Also Have Recalled Parts

A recent congressional report raised concerns that new cars are being sold with defective Takata airbags. Consumers need to be aware that some car manufacturers are selling new vehicles equipped with defective parts, and these cars will be the subject of recalls as they’re being driven off the lot. When buying a new car consumers must ask the dealer to confirm if their vehicle was made using any defective parts that are involved in a recall, and if the parts will be replaced before the sale of the vehicle is completed.

Report Car Issues

Consumers should frequently check their vehicles at safercar.gov for any recall activity, but if there is an issue with their car that they feel has not been identified, reporting the problem to NHTSA will help regulators hold auto manufacturers to the highest standard of auto safety.

NHTSA won’t subject a vehicle class to a recall until they make sure the problem is serious. Timely reporting of issues by consumers will help make the process of recalling defective parts more efficient. Safercar.gov allows consumers to File a Complaint and report issues with their vehicles that that may not yet be part of a recall.

Consumers should be able to trust that the vehicle they purchased was made without defective parts, and if the manufacturer identifies an issue, that they will notify owners immediately and correct the problem.