Tips for Safe Driving

 Posted on March 01, 2017 in Personal Injury

Driving is probably one of the most dangerous activities people do on aday-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 a way 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’sahead 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 victimsand their families throughout the areas of Westchester, White Plains,Fairfield, Stamford, and Greenwich. Contact us at 203-661-6000 or fill out our online form to schedule a free case consultation today. We are available to take your calls twenty-four hoursa day, seven days a week.