No one gets up in the morning, looks at their schedule, and thinks about the accident they will be in later in the day. That’s a meeting that could happily be postponed forever. However, between two and three million people end up in emergency rooms because of an auto accident every year. Over 30,000 of those people never make it home again.
Even if you’ve been driving for years, it never hurts to refresh your memory of these defensive driving tips.
- Speeding is the leading cause of accidents. Every mile-per-hour faster increases the risk of an accident by 4-5%. Avoid the need to drive faster by simply leaving earlier.
- Don’t be the distracted driver who causes an accident. Even if you’re young with super-fast reflexes, texting, eating, etc. will really slow your reaction time. Researchers discovered that a 20 year old talking on a cell phone had the reaction time of a 70 year old.
- Driving when you’re struggling to stay awake is as unsafe as driving drunk. If you actually fall asleep, the car will either drift into the other lane or go off the road. It really is better to pull off the road and take a nap. Even better, have a good night’s sleep before hitting the road.
- Wear your seat belt. They really do save lives. The seat belt will also reduce the degree of injury. It could make the difference between broken bones or ending up a quadriplegic.
- Don’t let your temper control your better sense and become part of a road rage incident. There is no way of knowing how far the other driver is willing to go.
- Slow down in bad weather. If you pull off to the side of the road, turn off your lights. Other drivers coming up behind you may assume you’re moving and not realize you’re stopped until it is too late.
- Don’t tailgate. Pick a stationary object ahead of you. When the car in front of you passes it, count off the number of seconds until you pass it. It should take 3 seconds.
Fort Worth’s Best Car Accident Attorney is ready to help you out if an accident happens regardless of how carefully you drive. The Law Firm of David S. Kohm has been providing representation to accident victims since 1990. Get the compensation that you are due because of another’s negligence by calling Fort Worth’s Best Car Accident Attorney for a free consultation.
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