Driving is probably one of the most dangerous activities people do on a
day-to-day basis. Almost 1.3 million people die in collisions every year
across the world. In the United States, the number is around 37,000, and
another 2.35 million are injured or disabled in the accident. Largely,
this high number of collisions is due to driver errors, and many of them
can be prevented by taking a few precautionary measures when driving.
Here are a few of our top tips for staying safe on the dangerous road.
Tip 1: Pay Attention to Driving
Driver inattention is one of the primary causes of most
car accidents. People are highly distractible, and anything that takes attention away
from driving has the potential to lead to disaster. While you can’t
prevent anything outside your car from being distracting, you can stop
yourself from playing with your phone, fiddling with your radio, or taking
your eyes off the road to talk to one of your passengers. Even the smallest
distraction could prevent you from stopping in time to avoid hitting something
or someone in the middle of the road.
Tip 2: Drive Defensively
While you can account for your own habits and driving responsibilities,
you can’t account for those of anyone else on the road. Not everyone
follows driving laws, and aggressive drivers can cause, and do cause,
many accidents by callously disregarding the safety of others on the road.
The only thing you can do in response is be avidly aware of your surroundings
and be prepared to react to any sudden changes in the environment around
you. For example, if you notice someone tailgating another driver, the
wise choice to make is to stay as far away from them as possible. If the
driver being tailgated has to stop suddenly, that could be a fender bender
waiting to happen. Likewise, you can’t necessarily see what’s
ahead of the car in front of you. If they brake, you want a good cushion
of time between yourself and the stopping car, which will allow you to
brake as well without the threat of striking the car ahead.
Tip 3: Plan Ahead
If you know you’re going to be venturing on a long drive, it helps
to plan ahead. Don’t take calls while driving, conduct business
before or after the car is off. Adjust your mirrors, seat, or climate
controls to avoid doing so while in the middle of driving. If you need
to eat or drink, then pull over. Anything that could potentially distract
you in the middle of a trip, do beforehand or after you have come to a
complete stop.
Tip 4: Follow the Law
This may sound like an obvious tip, but not everyone does it. Speed signs
are posted for a reason. Signals are mandatory because they tell other
drivers to avoid you. Having fully functional taillights can prevent accidents.
Doing your best actually to follow driving laws will make you a much safer
driver. If more people were doing so, we would see significantly fewer
injuries and deaths on the roads.
Make sure to stay safe on the road. However, if you’ve been injured
by the negligence of someone else, don’t hesitate to call us. Serious
injuries sustained in car crashes can lead to exorbitantly high medical
bills and even long-term care, rehabilitation, and lost wages. If you’ve
suffered harm because of someone else’s poor decision, you shouldn’t
have to pay for it. Our Greenwich
personal injury attorneys have achieved extraordinary results in serious or catastrophic
personal injury cases, and we are one of the preferred law firms for injured
victims and their families throughout the areas of Westchester, White
Plains, Fairfield, Stamford, and Greenwich. We have more than three decades
of legal experience to offer your case, and we are led by renowned lawyer
John Q. Kelly. Let us see what we can do for you and your case.
Contact us at (213) 718-4002 or fill out our online form to schedule a free case
consultation today. We are available to take your calls twenty-four hours
a day, seven days a week.