Owners of cars know how difficult it is to maintain them. Even after checking their fitness and taking regular care, car accidents are something that is unavoidable if you’re not extra cautious while driving. While there are no foolproof ways to avoid accidents, you can indeed follow a few tips and reduce your chances of car accidents.
According to a renowned Bronx car accident lawyer of the Barnes Firm, “If you have been in a car crash, there are myriad issues that you need to deal with — ensuring everyone’s safety, contacting police, filling out insurance paperwork, and more.” Doing these can take a significant amount of your time and effort. Buying a new car can also be expensive, so it’s better to prevent accidents than to wait for them to happen.
So, aside from keeping a car accident injury lawyer at hand, you can follow the six tips mentioned below to avoid car accidents.
Learn to drive well
A majority of car accidents take place because of poor driving. A lot of drivers end up in an accident because they don’t believe in their skills, so it’s equally important to keep a positive mindset before hitting the roads.
Learning to drive yourself or a friend might sound exciting, but it can prove harmful in the long run. It’s always better to learn driving from a professional so that they can point out mistakes during the lessons. Thus, you have plenty of chances to rectify your mistakes.
Avoid driving at night and stick to the daytime until you have mastered driving. Similarly, take fewer passengers to focus better on maneuvering your vehicle.
Always wear seatbelts
Highway accidents end up taking more lives because of missing seatbelts on the passenger or the drivers. Many people find the concept of seatbelts unattractive, but they do help to save lives. Whether you’re driving or carrying a passenger with you, always wear your seatbelt or ask the passenger to wear theirs.
Avoid phone calls when driving
We spend so much time on our phones at this age that it’s impossible to stay away from them. The constant barrage of notifications can serve as a distraction while we drive. If you’re someone who gets distracted by these easily, muting your phone or turning off notifications of the apps might be a good choice. If it’s not an emergency then you can also switch off the internet connection while you drive.
Direct calls can also be the reason for an accident. Even if you’re not holding the phone with one hand and using headphones to take the call, you can be distracted from driving. So it’s wiser to take the call after you have reached your destination or have stopped somewhere along the way.
Don’t drink and drive
Drinking and driving is another major reason for car accidents. If you have plans to drink, don’t take your car with you. If it’s unavoidable, take someone with you who can drive you home. The best way is to avoid drinking if you want to drive yourself home at the end of the day.
Learn to drive in bad weather
Adverse weather is a nightmare for both new and old drivers. The situation can become unpredictable based on the weather, and driving in such conditions can be life-threatening. However, with proper caution, you can reduce the chances of an accident by a large margin.
Depending on the country you live in, you can face heavy rains and snowfall, or even thick fog. Learning to drive safely in such weather conditions is a good skill to have. Thick fogs can make it difficult to see ahead. Keep your headlights turned on and drive slowly to avoid collisions. Similarly, ice and rain can make the roads slippery and tires can skid easily. Drive slowly, and keep your windows wiped to ensure maximum visibility. Black ice can be fatal, so learn about them before driving on them.
Check the safety of your vehicle
Check the safety and fitness of your vehicle from time to time. You can stay one step ahead and buy a big, sturdy model rather than a small car. The latter is more prone to accidents. You can also pick cars that have a good safety rating. You can easily access the data by researching the federal statistics and finding cars with the highest safety rating.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also published vehicle safety reports that are accurate and highly dependable. You can also check them before you decide on a particular model.
Buying a perfect car that is affordable but accommodating can be very exciting, but it’s also important to focus on its safety. While accidents are guaranteed to come unannounced, you can follow the tips above to reduce the chances of such accidents. Always keep a car injury attorney at hand to avoid any hassle.