Malaysia reportedly has the third highest death rate from road accidents in Asia and ASEAN. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates approximately 15 serious injuries and 70 minor injuries for every road traffic death. These shocking numbers are enough to make anyone shudder, but that doesn't mean that you should give up driving altogether. Here are 6 precautions you should take to lower the risk of a potential car accident:

Using turn signals to communicate your intentions to other drivers seems like an obvious tip, but there’s a surprising number of people who neglect to do this. Some people also turn on the signal too late for it to be useful. If your car is moving at a high speed, you should turn it on earlier so the drivers behind you have enough buffer to slow down and avoid a rear-end collision.

Did you know the risk of a fatal crash triples at night. Your depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision can be compromised at night, and the glaring headlights from an oncoming vehicle can temporarily blind a driver.

The major factor to road accidents is the motor vehicle speed. Many people drive to the maximum of the speed limit and even toe the line. The problem with driving that fast is that even the smallest mistake can spiral out of control. At high speeds, even being distracted for a second can be dangerous. If you sneezed while driving at 120kmph, it would only take a couple of seconds but you would have travelled 100m with your eyes closed.

Slowing down your vehicle builds up time to react and avoid a potential car accident. The impact from a collision is in direct correlation to speed, hence slowing down your vehicle saves lives.

A backup camera will help you with blind spots behind your vehicle, therefore having a clearer view of vehicles present to avoid undue car accidents. These cameras can be installed professionally with a screen on your vehicle's dashboard, or even improvised with affordable models that you can buy online. In addition, there are also sensors which can be installed on the sides of your car which will alert you when there is anything that might be in the blind spots there.

Despite the advice to make use of technology, your phone should be used wisely when you are driving. Most of us are guilty of talking or texting on the phone while driving. However, it is important to limit your phone usage to emergency situations only. Use Waze or Google Maps to find your destination before you start driving. If you need to make a change in route or take a call, pull over somewhere safe like a gas station or a safe side of the road.

When you think about it, cars are impressive and complicated machines. We have basically managed to find a way to put gears and bits together in a way that mini explosions can move us around comfortably. It’s important to make sure everything is working as it should be to avoid problems on the road. Allianz Road Rangers, which comes free with our comprehensive motor insurance, offers road repairs if necessary but it is still vital to carry out regular maintenance of your vehicle.

If you do unfortunately get into a motor vehicle accident despite taking these precautions, Allianz Comprehensive Motor Insurance comes with Allianz Road Rangers which offers 24-hour helpline assistance, E-hailing road voucher (that allows you to be transported in the case of vehicle breakdown), and the Allianz tow truck which brings your damaged vehicle to both the police station and panel workshop thereafter for your convenience, and many other benefits as part of our comprehensive motor insurance.