Teach children to be good passengers. While children can't be expected to sit in complete silence, you can help them understand that you will not always be able to engage them while driving. A simple, "Mommy can't talk right now. She needs to concentrate so we can all be safe," can go a long way to helping children understand vehicle safety. For younger ones, try to anticipate their needs before you get on the road. Keep books, a toy, snacks and drinks within their arm's reach. For older kids, rotate seat assignments to decrease bickering over who sits where. If all else fails pull off the road at a safe spot and address the issue.

Keep your eyes way down the road. Focusing on the cars immediately ahead of you is not enough. For maximum accident avoidance, focus far ahead so you can anticipate a possible emergency. Have eyes in the back of your head. Use your rearview mirrors to observe the drivers behind you. If they're engaged in any noticeably distracting behavior, switch lanes as soon as possible.

Buckle up and use car seats. Motor vehicle crashes were among the top two causes of death for ages 1 to 34 in 2002, according to a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National Center for Statistics and Analysis. So buckle up and make sure children are in their car seats. To be sure you're using a child seat that's in accordance with safety guidelines, check out the NHTSA's child safety seat use chart at nhtsa.gov, or call (800) 441-1888 to find a Safe Kids Coalition in your area, which inspects for safety and proper installation.