6 Tips to Prevent Car Accidents
Buying a new vehicle comes with a lot of responsibilities. Ensuring its safety also ensures that you and your family will have safe rides. But accidents do happen. They are unavoidable. But is there any foolproof way to prevent them?
The short answer is ‘no.’ Indeed, you cannot control the chances of car accidents, but you can take measures to prevent them from happening. Apart from following the regular safety measures, you can keep a car accident lawyer at hand for added security. According to Los Angeles car accident lawyers at the Barnes Firm, “More than 200,000 people are hurt in Southern California crashes every year.” Their team is more than happy to assist you if you face a car accident and need lawyers to obtain compensation.
To add to it, below are six tips to prevent car accidents.
Learn Driving Well
Before you hit the road, learn to drive well. Many people take proper driving lessons, yet, fall prey to accidents because they don’t believe in their skills. So, it’s also important to keep a positive mindset about driving before you start going out in your car.
Even if you learn to drive yourself, always drive under the supervision of an expert driver while you’re in training. If you make mistakes, the expert can rectify them immediately.
If you’re still a new driver, try to limit passengers to avoid accidents. Too many passengers can distract you sometimes, and can also increase your sense of responsibility. Both of these can easily lead to an accident. Similarly, try to drive more in the day and less at night to lessen or avoid car accidents.
Never Miss the Seatbelt
Seatbelts might look unattractive, but they are your biggest safety measure while driving. Even if you don’t want to, try building a habit of wearing seatbelts every time you drive. And this should apply to both the drivers and the passengers. Wearing seat belts can reduce the chances of a car accident injury by a large margin.
Never Drink and Drive
Drinking and driving is another major reason for car accidents. If you have plans to drink on an evening, assign yourself a designated driver who can stay away from drinking and drive you home safely. In all other cases, refrain from drinking until you have reached your home or desired destination.
Be Mindful of Poor Weather
New and old – both types of drivers risk meeting car accidents during adverse weather. But with proper caution, you can easily avoid these accidents. You can face deep fog, heavy rain, or snow based on the state or country you live in. You must teach yourself to drive safely in all these conditions.
Fog can make it challenging to see the street ahead of you. It becomes especially dangerous during the night, so keep your headlight turned on and maintain distance from the car in front of you.
Rain and snow can make the roads slick, Always check and keep your wipers fixed for these occasions. Check your tires and brakes to avoid skids on the wet road. Learn to identify black ice before you start driving to avoid serious accidents.
Don’t Use Cellphones While Driving
The newest generation is always on the phone which increases the chances of car accidents. Avoid using cell phones while you are driving. If you easily get distracted by the chimes of the notifications, switch off the internet before you drive. If you need access to the internet, mute the notifications until you have reached your destination.
Taking calls during driving is also a major cause of car accidents. Even if you use headphones and employ both your hands to steer the car, being on the call can distract you, and accidents can take place.
Drive a Safe Car
And finally, to prevent accidents, you must drive a safe vehicle. Be mindful of this while you purchase your car. If you have the option, try to buy a decent-sized car rather than going for a small car. Trucks have just as many chances of accidents as small cars. Always buy a car that has a good or high safety rating. You can check the federal statistics to find the cars with the highest safety ratings.
You can also check with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for vehicle safety reports. They provide accurate and dependable information on vehicle safety tests and their reports.
Any new driver will tell you that their primary fear is falling in a car accident. While there is no guarantee that you can always avoid accidents, following the above-mentioned tips can ensure better safety.
If unfortunately, you do meet an accident, you can easily come out of the situation unscathed by following a few simple steps. Just keep your head calm and remember to contact a car accident lawyer if required.