Five Lessons You Can Learn From Auto Accident Lawyers
What to Do If You Get in an Auto Accident
A car crash can be a traumatic event. It could result in loss of income, benefits, and significant out-of-pocket costs.
Whether you're the victim of an auto accident or a bystander who is watching one, there are a variety of ways to ensure your safety and assist others.
Avoiding Distractions
If you are distracted while driving, it could be a major risk to your safety as well as the safety of others. The most frequent distractions include eating, texting, and grooming.
Distracted drivers could cause serious injuries or even death to the people near them. This is because distracted driving may cause drivers to overlook dangers and unexpected complications that are in front of them or miss important road 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 could be visual or cognitive, and each has distinct characteristics.
Visual distractions are those that distract drivers' attention from the road, such as using a GPS, looking at a billboard or rubbernecking an accident. This could be risky, especially when a driver is driving at highway speeds and passing other vehicles or pedestrians.
Manual distractions can also be risky, particularly when drivers do not pay attention to the road, or do not react quickly. While driving, eating can be extremely distracting as can switching the radio station or reaching to something behind the car.
Cognitive distractions can be as dangerous as other distractions. These distractions include using a mobile phone or singing, or pondering an emotionally charged situation. They can also be indications of drowsiness and make it hard to keep a driver's attention on the road.
Set boundaries and practice attentive drive to keep your eyes off the road. This can be accomplished by living by example and setting rules that restrict the time spent on screens.
It's important to remember that everyone is at risk for being a distracted driver, and it's certainly not just teens or new drivers. Older people, drivers who are drowsy and even pets could all be potential distractions while driving.
You can also advise them to put their mobile phone on "do not disturb" mode and turn it off when they are driving. You can also advise your friend to switch off their phone and set it on "do-not-disturb" mode when they drive.
Keep Your Distance
One of the most important things you can do to ensure your car is safe when driving is to keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. This can prevent collisions, and also safeguard you and those in the vicinity from injury and death.
There are a variety of ways to make sure you're following the proper distance when driving. You can use the 3-second calculation to determine if you are following too closely.
The 3-second rule is based on the fact that it takes three seconds to react when another car brakes suddenly. If you're too close to the vehicle in front of you, you won't have enough time to stop safely before a collision occurs.
This is especially the case for truck drivers, who need plenty of space to stop safely at a traffic stop. This rule of the road is often not observed by drivers, resulting in serious injuries and deaths.
In addition to using the three-second rule you can also measure your following distance by locating a fixed object and counting how long it takes for you to arrive at the same point after the vehicle ahead of you passes it. You can do this by locating an overhead road sign, tree or any other roadside marker, and watching the car ahead of you go by it.
Once you've determined how long it takes your car to reach that spot when the other vehicle passes it, start counting again. Begin counting 1-1,000, 2-1,000 and then 3,001 until you have a gap of three seconds between you and the car in front.
If you're unable reach three seconds, you can increase your following distance gradually until you get there. It could require slowing down to avoid a crash, but it's worth the effort.
The most common rear-end collisions occur when drivers are too close to the vehicle in front. By increasing your following distance and following the 3-second rule, you can avoid these accidents and other collisions which could cause serious damage to your vehicle and the people in the vicinity.
Avoiding Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions are as the most frequent auto accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rear-end collisions account for nearly a third all accidents and cause around 2,000 deaths per year in the United States.
While front-end collisions are less dangerous, rear-end collisions are still a significant cause for injuries and property damage. Rear-end collisions could also cause soft-tissue injuries like whiplash.
These accidents can cause drivers to suffer severe discomfort and pain in their neck, shoulder and back areas. They usually require physical therapy, medical bills and lost wages to recover from.
The best method to avoid a rear-end collision is to keep a safe distance from other vehicles. This means you must be following them at a reasonable speed and not tailgate them.
Driving too fast could increase the risk of a rear-end collision because you won't have enough time to notice and react to dangers, like slower or stopped traffic in the front of you. The National Safety Council recommends a minimum of three seconds of follow-through for vehicles that are primarily passenger vehicles, and greater for larger vehicles.
Rear-end collisions can be especially risky when the road or weather conditions are threatening. If you're driving in extreme rain or snow for instance you must increase the distance you follow and take extra care.
Check your rear-view-mirror frequently to avoid a rear-end collision. This will depend on how crowded the traffic is ahead of you. This will allow you to determine whether the driver in front of you is slowing down or applying the brakes.
Use your turn signals to switch lanes or pull out of a parking lot. This will help the driver behind you understand your vehicle and assist them in avoiding a swerve off the lane and cause a collision with you.
Keep children in the back of the car when you travel with them. This will stop children from moving around in the vehicle, or getting lost and distracting while you are driving.
It is recommended to keep your phone away while you are driving and to not use it to distract you. Talking or texting on the phone can be a significant contributor to rear-end collisions.
Keeping Your Engine Running
The engine in your vehicle could be among the most important components to you as a driver, but it could also be among the most frustrating parts. In the case of an accident, you might find that your car's engine will not start when you turn the key.
The problem is not easy to determine or fix Therefore, you should bring your car in as soon when the light turns on. The lights will inform you that there's an issue with the alternator, battery or temperature, or any other part of your car that need attention.
If you're experiencing difficulty getting your car to start after an accident it could be because of a malfunctioning inertial switch that cuts power to the vehicle's fuel pump. This is designed to protect your car from lighting on fire in the event of an impact but it can also cause damage to your engine should it be activated.
los angeles auto accident attorneys why you may not be able to start your engine after an auto accident is that the collision may have caused your vehicle's transmission to cease functioning properly. In this situation you'll need the help of a mechanic to determine what caused the issue and then fix it before you start your vehicle again.
Even if you have a healthy engine however, it's important to run it every once in the course of time to ensure it's lubricated and working properly. This can be done by turning the engine on slowly and allow it to warm for 30 minutes.
When you do this, you're taking the chance to check all of your vehicle's belts, hoses, air cleaners and other parts to ensure that they are in good functioning order. This will boost your gas mileage and ensure that your vehicle is operating smoothly.
It's also a great way to make sure your tires are inflated to the correct pressure. Properly inflated tires will enable them to grip the road more effectively and lower the risk of a blowout or other damage.