As a driver, you need to do whatever you can to protect yourself from suffering a significant injury. Because of the many issues that can arise, you should make sure you’re paying close attention to others on the road. Here are five steps you can take to prevent serious accidents.
1. Scanning 12 Seconds Ahead
It’s vital for you to pay close attention to all those on the road. Looking ahead of you at least 12 seconds can help you anticipate a potential negligent act. With enough time, you can properly maneuver to avoid a serious collision.
2. Using Mirrors and Checking Blind Spots
One of the biggest problems on the road is when drivers fail to look in their mirrors or check blind spots when merging lanes. Before you change lanes, make sure you indicate your intentions, and look into your mirrors to see if another vehicle is there. Also, you should check your blind spots by looking over your shoulder briefly with enough space in front of you.
3. Waiting at Red Lights
You approach a red light and stop while you wait for the cross traffic to pass. Your light turns green. What do you do? While you may think it’s safe, you may want to take a second to wait just to ensure negligent drivers who may run a red light goes through and you don’t encounter a crash.
4. Avoiding Tailgating
If you drive too close to someone else, you can rear-end them when they stop. Driving too close reduces your reaction time, so if the driver in front of you approaches traffic, you may not be able to stop in time. Even more, tailgating often increases the chances of aggressive driving.
5. Remembering Speed Limits and Flow of Traffic
While posted speed limits are important to remember, it’s even more crucial to remember to drive safely for conditions and with the flow of traffic. Driving too fast in traffic or when the roads are slippery can be dangerous. And while you may think driving slowly is safer, you should only do so in the far right lane. Driving too slow in the faster lanes can cause someone to tailgate you or aggressively drive around you and cut you off.
Our Monroe car accident lawyers at Parker Alexander work hard to protect your rights. We’ll be there for you through the most difficult times to pursue the compensation and justice you need moving forward.
Call us today at (318) 625-6262 and schedule your free consultation with our team.