Five Things You've Never Learned About Auto Accident Lawyers
What to Do If You Get in an Auto Accident
A car accident can be a traumatic event. It can cause loss of income and benefits, large cost out of pocket, and severe injuries that require a long-term treatment.
If you're the victim of an auto accident or who's watching one, there are a variety of things you can do to keep yourself safe and help others.
Avoid Distractions
If you're distracted while driving, it could affect your safety as well as the safety of others. Eating, texting, or grooming are some of the most frequent distractions.
Distracted drivers could cause serious injuries or death to others who are around them. This is because distracted driving may cause drivers to disregard dangers and unexpected problems in front of them or to miss important road warning signs.
Distractions are anything that diverts the attention of a driver away from the road and causes them to lose control of their vehicle. They can be either visual or manual and each is unique in its own way.
Visual distractions can distract drivers' attention from the road, for example, using a GPS, looking at a billboard, or rubbernecking during an accident. This can be very dangerous particularly when the driver is driving at highway speeds, or when they are driving by pedestrians or other vehicles.
Manual distractions can also be dangerous, especially when drivers don't pay attention to the road, or do not react quickly. Drinking while driving, changing the radio station and reaching for something in the backseat could be extremely distracting.
Cognitive distractions are a less obvious but just as deadly category of distractions. These distractions include using a mobile phone or singing or pondering an emotional situation. These are also signs of drowsiness and make it hard for drivers to stay focused on the road.
Set boundaries and practice an attentive driving to be aware of distractions while driving. This can be accomplished by living by example and establishing rules to limit the amount of time you spend on your screen.
It is important to remember that driving distracted is an issue for all drivers, not just teens and drivers who are new. Older people, drivers who are drowsy and even pets could all be potential distractions when driving.
If you know someone who is susceptible to distraction while driving, make sure to talk to them about the importance of keeping their focus on the road and ways to prevent this from happening. You can also help your friend to turn off their phone and put it on "do-not-disturb" mode while they drive.
Keep Your Distance
Maintaining a safe distance from vehicle in the front of you is one of the best things you can do for your vehicle's safety. This can help avoid an accident, and help ensure that you are protected and the people who are around you from injury or death.
There are several ways you can ensure that you're following the correct distance. One way is to use the 3-second rule. It's an easy calculation that will help you determine if you're following too closely.
The 3-second rule is based on the fact that you need approximately three seconds to react if another vehicle brakes suddenly. If you're too close to the vehicle in the front of you it won't give you enough time to stop safely before a collision occurs.
This is especially relevant for truck drivers who require plenty space to stop safely when they approach an intersection. Many accidents involving semis and big rigs occur because drivers fail to follow this rule of the road and can result in serious injuries, or even death for everyone involved.
In addition to using the three-second rule, it is possible to also determine your following distance mentally by finding an object fixed in the ground and calculating the time it takes you to reach the same location after the vehicle in front of you has passed it. This can be accomplished by watching the car advance as it passes an overhead sign, tree or other roadside marker.
Once you've established how long it takes your car to reach that spot after the other car passes it, you can begin counting again. You'll be counting 1-1,000, 21,000, and then 3-1,000 until attain a gap of three seconds between you and the car ahead.
If you can't reach three seconds in one row then gradually increase your distance to follow until you do. This may involve slowing down to avoid collision but it's worth the effort.
The most frequent rear-end collisions occur when drivers follow the vehicle ahead of them too closely. You can avoid collisions as well as others by extending your distance of following.
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Rear-end collisions comprise among the most frequent types of car accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rear-end collisions are responsible for nearly a third all accidents and cause around 2,000 deaths per year in the United States.
While front-end collisions are more risky, rear-end collisions are still a significant cause for injuries and property damage. Rear-end collisions may also cause whiplash-like injuries to soft tissues, for example.
These injuries could cause drivers to be afflicted with severe discomfort and pain in the neck, shoulder, and back areas. They often require physical therapy, medical bills and lost wages to heal from.
Keep your distance from other vehicles to avoid an accident. This means you should follow behind them at a safe speed and not to tailgate them.
Being too fast can increase the risk of a rear-end collision because you will not have enough time to notice and react to dangers, like slower or stopped traffic the area in front of you. The National Safety Council recommends that drivers maintain a three-second minimum distance of following distance and larger vehicles more.
Rear-end collisions can be particularly dangerous when road or weather conditions are adverse. If you are driving in heavy snow or rain, for instance, you may need to increase the distance you follow.
To avoid a rear-end collision, look at your rearview mirror frequently depending on how congested the traffic ahead of you. This will help you identify if the driver in front of you has slowed down or applied the brakes.
Another good habit to adopt is to use your turn signals when changing lanes or leaving parking spaces. This lets the driver behind you see your car and can help prevent them from swerving out of their lane in order to cause a collision with you.
Keep children in the back of the car when you travel with them. This will keep them from bouncing around the vehicle or becoming confused and distracted while you are driving.
It is also a great idea to put your phone away and not use it while driving. Talking on the phone, or texting can lead to rear-end collisions.
Keep Your Engine Running
The engine in your car is among the most vital components for you as a motorist, but it can be frustrating. If you are involved in an accident, your vehicle's engine might not start until you turn the key or press START.
The issue isn't simple to fix or diagnose So you must bring your vehicle to the mechanic as soon when the light appears. The lights will illuminate if your car has problems in the areas of temperature, battery, alternator, or any other aspect.
If you're having trouble starting your car following a minor crash it could be because of a tripped inertial control that shuts off power to the vehicle's fuel pump. This switch is intended to stop your car from burning in the incident of a collision however, it could also cause damage to your engine when it's tripped.
Another reason you might not be in a position to start your engine after an auto accident is that the collision could have caused your vehicle's transmission to cease functioning properly. In this situation, you'll need to seek assistance from a mechanic to determine what caused the issue, and then fix it before you can begin your car again.
Even if your car has an engine that is in good condition however, it's important to check it out once the course of time to ensure it's properly lubricated and running. This can be accomplished by turning the engine and letting it warm up for about 30 seconds or so.
You can take this opportunity to check all the belts, hoses and cleaners in your vehicle to ensure they are working properly. This will increase your gas mileage as well as ensure that your vehicle runs smoothly.
This is also a great way to ensure that your tires are properly inflated. If your tires are properly inflated, they will ensure that they can be more stable on the road and lessen the risk of a tire blowout or other damage.