No one ever gets in their car and thinks they will be involved in an automobile accident, especially if they have a good track record, feel as if they drive defensively, and view themselves as “a good driver.” While some accidents are avoidable, others sadly are not! By definition, an accident is: “An unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.” As a country with some of the busiest road traffic, in the United States, an estimated 218 million drivers hold valid driver’s license and 264 million vehicles are registered according to statista.com. With so many drivers on the road, are accidents an inevitability?
While sometimes an accident is out of your control, there are ways to drive defensively and numerous ways to prevent accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2013, recorded: “…5,687,000 police-reported crashes, with 2,313,000 injuries and 32,719 fatalities.” Despite these high statistics, there are steps to take to reduce your risk and hopefully avoid an accident.
Drive cautiously at nighttime.
Sometimes people choose to travel at night to avoid traffic. Be careful when making this choice. You may be tired and encounter other sleepy drivers. It may be harder to see well also. Both tiredness and poor vision make driving more hazardous. There is more likelihood of encountering drunk drivers at nighttime too.
Know how your car handles/operates
Make sure your car is in road-ready condition. Keep up with all factory car maintenance schedules such as routine, recommended, and mileage-based assessments. Check your fluids and maintain appropriate tire pressure and brake fluid levels. Be familiar with how your brakes, steering, and tires react so you will know how to react in a scary situation. A car you are familiar with and is running optimally is safer to operate.
Make sure your seat is properly positioned.
When your back is resting against the seat, you have the best control of the wheel when your outstretched arm can be rested on the steering wheel at the wrist.
Strive to achieve a panoramic view across your side and rear-view mirrors. Don’t rely on mirrors alone. Stay out of the blind spots of other drivers, especially truckers.
With so much traffic on the roadways and harrowing statistics relating to crashes, injuries, and fatalities, at Nance Cacciatore, we are here to assist you if you are ever involved in a motorcycle, automobile, or truck accident. We focus exclusively on personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice. Serving the Brevard County cities of Melbourne and Titusville, contact us to set up your consultation today! Try to incorporate the tips offered above to avoid an accident.
