Major injuries are often noticeable right away, however, common injuries resulting from car accidents are not always noticeable at first glance but could be life-threatening. For some, pain or discomfort is not felt for days or even weeks after the accident. A spinal cord injury can cause severe and long-term damage, even in minor accidents. Your medical care will be focused on treating your injuries and allowing you to return to everyday life. You must see a physician as soon as possible and follow their instructions.
While there are no absolute methods for avoiding all car accidents, these tips can help you prevent severe injury due to automobile accidents. There are powerful steps you can take to maintain your safety while driving or riding as a passenger in an automobile. Reduce your risk and follow these ten steps to avoid major accidents and injuries when possible.
1. Drive Defensively
One of the best ways to reduce your chances of a car accident is to drive defensively and think proactively. This means allowing yourself enough distance between yourself and other vehicles, conducting routine blind spot checks, and avoiding aggressive drivers. Ensuring that your vehicle is up to date on maintenance can prevent operational failures. Always make sure your tires and brake lights are in good working order.
2. Use Mirrors Correctly
Before starting your car, always ensure that your mirrors are correctly positioned so you have a clear view of the rear. Mirrors are only helpful for glancing at objects behind you, so it’s essential to check your blind spot either on the left or right before making a lane change. You should also drive with your hands at the nine and three o’clock positions on the steering wheel. This position ensures that you maintain optimal control of your vehicle and prevents steering wheel slip.
3. Using Seatbelts & Other Safety Features
Buckling up is rule #1 when entering a vehicle and is vital to safety. When you’re driving, avoid distractions like texting, eating, or arguing. Make sure you don’t take risks that may lead to an accident. If you have children in the car, it is also important to ensure the seatbelt is correctly fitted and the appropriate safety device is in place as mandated by your state of residence.
4. Turn on Your Flashers
Always utilize your flashers when making lane changes. It is crucial to inform other drivers of your movement to ensure all who are in the vehicle can continue safely. When encountering a crash or accident on the side of the road, turn on your flashers when possible to warn other motorists of the accident. If you have an accident, call 9/11 and a tow truck to assist with the vehicle and to help with any injuries.
5. Check Your Blind Spots Routinely
Often, while we are driving, we begin to lose our awareness of our surroundings. Frequently and routinely checking your blind spot is another simple way to avoid road collisions. Not only is checking the mirrors important but scanning the blind spots where the mirrors cannot see is imperative. Routinely checking these blind spots actively brings your focus to the road. When driving, consider the blind spots of others and ensure you are not driving in these spaces.
6. Always Obey the Speed Limit
The speed limit is a calculated safety measurement to keep motorists on the road safe.
“Exceeding the speed limit greatly increases the chance of risk, injury, or even death to yourself and others,” says Curtis C Osborne, an attorney specializing in personal injury at Osborne Law Firm, P.C. “It is important to remember speed limits are put in place to keep us safe; they are designed to ensure you maintain control of your vehicle.”
It is illegal to speed and is not a good idea to go over them. As you increase your speed, it also can distort your visual perception, increasing your risk of injuring yourself or others.
7. Safe Driving Is Important
Never drive tired or while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Rather than injuring yourself or others, park your vehicle on the right side of the road in good lighting and turn on your blinkers. It will help you avoid collisions and keep your car in a safe place. Additionally, do not drive when you are angry. Anger can cause frustration, and confusion, clouding our ability to make risk assessments. Drive when you are focused, clear-headed, and present.
8. Be Aware of Your Surroundings
While driving, it is important to be aware of your surroundings and consider the potential moving parts in an environment that may affect your ability to drive and concentrate. While on the road, it is important to maintain your speed, never slowing to observe accidents on the side of the road. Any moment which diverts your attention is a potential for accident and injury.
Your chances of a collision significantly increase when your focus is diverted to anything other than driving. If you are in a car accident, remember to follow all traffic signs and remain calm. Almost half of all fatal car accidents occur at night. Wear corrective lenses if needed and be present to decrease your chances of an accident.
9. Be Aware of Other Drivers
It is crucial to observe other drivers’ behavior. If you are noticing a reckless or aggressive driver, having the awareness beforehand can prevent a disastrous accident. Additionally, other drivers may warn of a signal of debris, an upcoming accident, or impending danger on the road. It is essential to have this awareness as it can prevent injury or accidents.
10. Be Legally Aware
If you are wounded in a car accident, you are entitled to compensation. The legal team at Osborne Law Firm, P.C. can help you with all road accident claim tips related to car, motorcycle, and truck accidents, wrongful death, and injuries.
It is important to abstain from signing any waivers or other documentation provided by the other party or insurance companies before seeking legal representation. The sooner you call a lawyer after a car accident, the better. Your health and future happiness are worth protecting with proper representation by a qualified, experienced attorney.
