According to the census from 10 years ago (the year 2000) there were more than 112 million people driving or carpooling to work every day. How that must have increased since then! We all know how busy the roads are, and that we must take safety precautions when driving if we want to reach our destinations in one piece.

Below are 5 safety tips to remember when you're on the road.

1. First of all, your vehicle must be properly maintained. Check your owners manual, and follow its recommendations for oil changes, monitoring hoses and belts, filters and spark plugs, etc. When you're preparing to drive somewhere, make sure you've got gas in the tank and your tires have the proper amount of air in them.

2. Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle. You should have first aid supplies available, as well as jumper cables and flares in case of a breakdown.

3. Wear your seat belt! Fatal injuries are reduced by 45% when lap and shoulder belts are used. Why take the risk? Make sure all passengers are buckled up before you start the car.

4. Know the route you are going to take to reach your destination. If you're not sure how to get there, check Google maps for driving directions. The last thing you want to do is get confused on a busy highway or keep making wrong turns on city streets.

5. Reduce distractions while you're driving. The best thing today's drivers can do is turn off the cell phone. Drivers talking on cell phones weave through traffic, make dangerous moves, forget to signal when changing lanes, cut other drivers off, generally creating an extremely dangerous situation for themselves and other drivers.

Here's a bonus tip that could save your life: Whatever you do, don't text while driving! There is no way you can safely key in a message on a cell phone and pay adequate attention to the road. It is absolutely frightening to be driving on a highway and see a driver in the high speed lane texting as they zoom along at 70 mph. Just don't do it!

Follow these simple precautions and you have a much greater chance of staying safe on the road. Don't take chances - get to your destination safely.