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Unfortunately, car accidents happen every day. And even more unfortunately, people are often hurt in those accidents. It’s easy to find helpful information online on what to do or who to turn to after a car accident, even advice on how to find an attorney if you need to file a personal injury lawsuit. But as useful as help on how to find an attorney can be, wouldn’t it be better to avoid car accidents in the first place? While even being a perfect driver can’t guarantee your safety — since you can’t control all other drivers — there are many simple steps you can take to reduce your risk of a crash. Here are five you can implement starting today:
- Start Thinking About “Impaired Driving”
Driving under the influence isn’t the only type of impaired driving. Instead of asking yourself if you can legally drive in your current state, ask yourself if you can safely drive in your current state. That means you might want to stay off the road because you’re tired, nervous or angry — anything that will take your full attention away from driving.
- Watch for Cars, Not Just Green Lights
Too many drivers just watch lights, rather than carefully checking each and every intersection for cars. Sure, if a car runs a red light and hits you, that driver will be at fault. But that won’t heal your injuries.
- Give Commercial Trucks Plenty of Space
Big truck accidents are actually on the rise, but the good news is there’s a simple way to avoid trucking accidents: staying back. Big rigs have big blind spots, make wide turns and brake slowly, which means you should simply always err on the side of caution.
- Don’t Speed — Even When the Road Is Clear
Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that speed limits are put in place only to keep you from hitting other cars. Speed limits are often determined based on the physical characteristics of the road, meaning it’s just as dangerous to speed when no one is in sight.
- Keep Up on Vehicle Maintenance
An under-maintained car is an unsafe one. Something as simple as under-inflated tires can even contribute to an accident. If you’re going to drive safely, you need to consider vehicle maintenance to be just part of the cost of transportation.
Add your tips for avoiding car accidents in the comments!
