What to Do If You Get in an Auto Accident
A car accident could be a devastating event. It can involve loss of income and benefits, massive cost out of pocket, and severe injuries that require a long-term treatment.
You can help yourself and others by being secure if you're a victim of a car crash or a witness.
Avoiding Distractions
If you're distracted when driving, it could affect your safety as well as the safety of others. Some of the most common distractions include texting, eating and grooming.
If distracted drivers are involved in an accident, it can result in grave injuries and death for the people around them. auto accident attorneys near me who are distracted could ignore road signs and dangers or miss out on unexpected dangers.
Distractions refer to anything that diverts a driver's attention away from the road and causes them to lose control of their vehicle. They can be either visual as well as cognitive, manual or both and each has its own unique characteristics.
Visual distractions are the things that take a driver's eyes off the road, such as using a GPS, looking at a billboard or rubbernecking an accident. It can be dangerous particularly if the driver is driving at highway speeds while passing other vehicles or pedestrians.
Manual distractions can also be very harmful, especially when drivers aren't paying attention to the road and are unable to react quickly enough. Consuming food while driving, changing the radio station, or reaching for something in the backseat could all be very distracting.
Cognitive distractions can be as harmful as other distractions. They can include using the phone, singing or thinking about an emotional situation. They can also be signs of drowsiness that can make it difficult for drivers to stay focused on the road.
Set up good boundaries and practice attentive drive to avoid distractions while driving. You can accomplish this by establishing guidelines and modeling.
It's important to remember that distracted driving is danger for all drivers not just teenagers and new drivers. Even pets, older people and drivers who are tired could be distractions while driving.
If you have a loved one who is prone to distracted driving, make sure to speak with them about the importance of keeping their eye to the road and how to prevent this from happening. It is also a good idea to encourage them to put their cell phone in "do not distract" mode and turn off the phone when they are behind the wheel.
Keep Your Distance
One of the most important actions you can take to ensure your car's safety when driving is to keep a safe distance between yourself and any vehicle in front of you. This will help avoid an accident and protect your passengers and yourself from injury or even death.
There are a variety of ways to make sure that you're taking the proper distance when driving. You can utilize the 3-second calculation to determine if you are following too closely.
The 3-second rule is based upon the fact that it takes around three seconds for you to react when another car brakes suddenly. If you are too close to the vehicle in front of you, it will be difficult to stop safely.
This is especially true of truck drivers, who need plenty of space to safely brake as they approach an end. Many accidents involving semis or large rigs occur because drivers fail to observe this road rule and can result in serious injuries or even death for all involved.
In addition to using the three-second rule, it is possible to also determine your distance to follow by locating an object fixed in the ground and calculating the time it takes you to reach the exact location after the vehicle in front of you has passed it. You can do this by locating an overhead road sign, tree, or other roadside marker and watching the car ahead of you go by it.
Once you've determined how long it takes your car to reach that spot after the other car passes it, start counting again. Count 1-1,000, 2-1,000, and then 3-1,000 until attain a gap of three seconds between you and the car in front.
If you're unable to reach three seconds, increase your following distance gradually until you get there. It may require you to slow down to avoid a collision but the extra effort is worth it.
The most frequent rear-end collisions occur when drivers follow the vehicle in front of them too closely. By increasing your following distance and using the 3-second rule, you will be able to avoid these crashes and other collisions which could cause serious damage to your vehicle and those in the vicinity.
Avoiding Rear End Collisions
Rear-end collisions are amongst the most common types of automobile accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that they represent almost one third of all crashes and cause around 2,000 deaths each year in the United States.
While front-end collisions are more fatal, rear end collisions can still cause serious injuries and property damage. Rear-end collisions can lead to a variety of soft tissue injuries, such as whiplash.
These injuries can cause severe pain in the back, neck and shoulder areas. They usually require physical therapy, medical bills and lost wages to recover from.
The best way to avoid rear-end collisions is to stay away from other vehicles. This means that you should follow behind them at an appropriate speed and not speeding up to them.
If you drive too close, it can increase the likelihood of a rear-end collision as you may not have enough time to see and respond to dangers, like slower or stopped traffic the area in front of you. The National Safety Council recommends that motorists maintain a three-second minimum distance to follow and larger vehicles more.
Rear-end collisions can be extremely dangerous when road or weather conditions are hazardous. If you are driving in heavy snow or rain, for instance, increase your distance to follow.
To avoid the possibility of a rear-end crash, make sure to check your rearview mirror frequently depending on how busy the traffic is in front of you. This will let you know if the driver behind you is slowing down or applying the brakes.
Another good practice is to use your turn signals when changing lanes or leaving parking lots. This will help the driver behind you see your car and stop them from swerving in their path to hit you.
Always ensure that your children are in the back of the car when traveling with them. This will stop them from bouncing about the vehicle, or getting lost and distracting while you are driving.
It is an excellent idea to avoid using your phone when driving and avoid using it as a distraction. Texting or talking on the phone could be a major contributor to rear-end collisions.
Keeping Your Engine Running
The engine of your vehicle could be one of the most important components to you as a driver, however it could also be among the most frustrating components. If you're involved in an auto accident, your vehicle's engine might not begin after you turn the key or press START.
The issue isn't simple to determine or fix Therefore, you should bring your car in as quickly as the light comes on. The lights will illuminate if your car has an issue in the area of battery, temperature, alternator or in any other area.
If you're having trouble starting your vehicle after an accident that isn't too serious it could be due to a malfunctioning switch that cuts off power to the fuel pump. This is designed to shield your vehicle from lighting on fire in the event of a collision but it can also cause damage to the engine if it is activated.
It's possible that you are unable to start your car following an accident, because your vehicle's engine transmission has stopped functioning properly. In this situation you'll have to seek assistance from an expert mechanic to determine what caused the issue, and then fix it before you start your car again.
Even if you have an engine that's healthy is still necessary to check it every once in intervals to ensure it's well-lubricated and functioning properly. This can be achieved by switching the engine on with a gentle touch and letting it warm for 30 seconds.
When you do this, you're gaining the opportunity to inspect all of your vehicle's belts, hoses, air cleaners and other components to ensure that they are in good operating condition. This will increase your gas mileage as well as ensure that your vehicle is running smoothly.
It's also a great method to ensure that your tires are inflated to the correct pressure. Properly filled tires will enable them to be more effective on the road and reduce the chance of a blowout or other damage.