Avoid a Car Accident
Car accidents are one of the leading causes of deaths in America, claiming over 3,000 lives per year or about 9 people every day. Most accidents are minor, such as sideswipes and rear-end hits. But some, such as head-on collisions can kill you instantaneously. Most people want to avoid such accidents, and there are several steps you can take to avoid getting into them.
Steps
- Before you start the engine, check and make sure the tire tread and inflation are good enough make sure the dash warning lights are off, such as the seat belt, check engine, brake system and air bag, . These are the simple ways to check that your car has no problem.
- Keep a watchful eye. We all think we're great drivers, and some of us are, but there are other people on the road too. Remember not to stare at anything for too long. Be aware of your surroundings and make sure you are aware of what's happening on every side of your car. Constantly check your rear-view mirror and try to judge every cars speed. Knowing where everyone is and how they drive will help you decide who to stay away from and where to go when the time calls for it.
- Check blind spots before you change lanes. There are side-streets and parking areas where people can just pull out without noticing. Checking your blind spots before you move in the next lane always helps avoids side-swiping accidents.
- Be especially careful when you are driving side-by-side with another car for an extended period. Pull ahead of them or behind for a brief moment to show them that you are still there, just in case they don't check their blind spots.
- Look both ways before you enter an intersection, even if you have a green light. Not everyone pays attention!
- Be mindful of approaching emergency vehicles and give way to them if you see their emergency lights flashing and/or hear their siren sounding. Remember that emergency vehicles sometimes have to drive through red lights or against the normal direction of traffic!
- Use the turn signal lights before you change lanes. When you use the signal lights, you are also warning everyone that you want to change your lanes. They may slow down or stop the car until you pass the road.
- Follow the laws. Most people have accidents because they don't follow the laws. The laws may not align with your idea of how to drive, but they are there to keep you and the people around you safe.
- Keep a safe distance. When you push the brake, it takes a few seconds to stop the car because of the time it takes to think, react and push the brake. The safe distance depends on the speed. When you push the brake, you also can slide a little distance, so we must keep a safe distance. Remember, more speed/more distance.
- Plan your driving, for example you may choose to take a longer route but one with less traffic or is technically easier to travel.
- Keep your vehicle slower than the speed limits at turns or steep roads. You never know what is going to come from the other side.
Tips
- Stay alert! If you are too tired to drive, consider taking public transportation or ask a friend/co-worker to drive you..
- If you get behind a big truck, follow this rule: If you can't see their face on the trucks side mirrors, they probably can't see you. Either way, it's probably smart to get around them, as some have rocks or debris in the back of their truck which can damage your windshield if they fly out.
- Do not drink and drive.A few drinks can critically slow down your reactions.
- If you hit an ice patch and find yourself sliding, remove pressure from the gas pedal and slowly apply the brakes. If you don't have antilock brakes, try taking your foot off the brake and re-applying it slowly.
- "Move toward the shoulder of the road for sirens and lights behind you!" Emergency vehicles can appear suddenly in your rear-view mirror. If you see lights flashing and hear a siren sounding, do the following: Move toward the shoulder, apply your brakes slowly and evenly until the emergency vehicle passes you, then resume normal driving.
- Don't text and drive.
- One study shows that people who listen to loud music are less likely to concentrate on driving and focus more on the music. Try turning down your radio, CD player, or mp3 player.
- Keep a lookout for drivers that may be drunk, distracted, or just bad drivers. If you can, switch lanes and drive ahead of them, being sure to maintain a lot of distance. If they are going too fast or seem unpredictable, pull over, slow down, or take a different route to avoid them.
Warnings
- Hang up and drive! Recent studies show that people who drive talking on the phone (with or without a headset) are more likely to cause an accident than a drunk driver. In some jurisdictions, operating a mobile phone whilst driving is illegal. Be sure to watch out for drivers who appear to be on the phone.
- Never be caught without anything you need when your driving. You never know when a police officer may pull you over. Even on minor infractions (such as an expired license plate tag), police must get full information on vehicles... including insurance.
- If you are too tired or too drunk to drive and someone else drives your car, and if your jurisdiction requires compulsory insurance, make sure they're insured. If they have an accident, you might end up paying for it out of your own wallet.
- Drunk drivers. I know this is illegal, but people still do it. First thing to do is give them a lot of space. Then, I would recommend calling local authorities.
- Even though we should all be following the speed limit, we don't. Sometimes, the speed limit is not appropriate for the road and traffic conditions. When there's rain, ice or snow on the road, the speed limit could be twice as fast as the appropriate, safe speed. At times, of course, the speed limit might be half as fast as conditions would safely allow.
- Also if stopped by a Police Officer and you are over the legal limit which is 0.08% in the US, the UK , Ireland and Canada or zero in Russia, then you will be arrested and taken to jail. Your vehicle will be towed and impounded and you will have to pay for this also your driver's license will be suspended or revoked, and you will also have to pay fines, court costs, detention costs, and pay to get your vehicle back.
- Watch out for swervers. A swerver is often a sports car that constantly switches lanes to get a head of traffic (which doesn't work). These drivers are highly dangerous and if you see in one in your rear view mirror, get ready for them to cut you off and give them their space.
Things You'll Need
- A car or truck.
- A license.
