According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 37,461 people killed in car accidents on U.S. roadways during 2016, an almost 6% increase from the previous year. While some accidents are inevitable, due to bad weather or sudden road hazards, many can be prevented by simply observing safety rules and precautions.
Below are a few safety tips that will not only help prevent you from getting into a car accident, but make the roads safer for everyone:
- Pull into traffic slowly: Stop and look around before getting into traffic. Check your mirrors and make sure to look in all of your blind spots, especially when merging into a highway with speeding cars.
- Don’t drive buzzed or drunk: You’ve seen the adverts—“buzzed driving is drunk driving.” Even with just a few beers, your judgement and ability to make quick decisions is highly impaired. Use any one of the ridesharing options out there instead of driving to a bar.
- Look out for red light takers: Once a light turns green at an intersection, don’t just speed across. Look both ways because sometimes drivers speed up at yellow lights and take red lights going at tremendous speeds. If it’s a truck driver, the consequences could be deadly.
- Keep both hands on the steering wheel: Reduce the distractions in your car, such as mobile devices or food. Even one hand on the wheel is good, but both hands can ensure that you gain control of the car if you suddenly have to swerve out of the way because of another car cutting you off.
- Don’t speed: Speeding is one of the primary reasons for deadly car accidents. It’s why there are speed limits! Getting somewhere five minutes sooner isn’t worth it if you’re risking the lives of other people on the road.
- Don’t tailgate: Leave a three-second cushion between you and the car in front of you. Tailgating won’t do anything but aggravate other people on the road. If the car in front of you suddenly smashes on the brakes, you could rear-end them.
If you or a loved one was injured in an accident caused by a negligent or careless driver, you have a right to pursue fair compensation. Contact the Phoenix car accident lawyers at Rafi Law Group at (623) 207-1555.