411: Avoiding Auto Accidents

At the Law Offices of Aronberg & Aronberg, a majority of our practice is representing individuals who have been injured in auto accidents, many of which could have been avoided. We’d like to share with you some safety tips to keep in mind while driving; suggestions that could help you prevent a costly auto accident.

1. Avoid the “Fast Lane: If you are driving on a multi-lane road like a highway, try to avoid the fast, left-most lane when possible. If you are driving in the center or right lanes, you have more “escape routes” available to you, should you need to move out of the way. Let’s say you notice a car accident just ahead of you in the fast lane; often times, your only options are to try and slam on the breaks (which could cause a car to hit you from behind) or to swerve to the right and hope you don’t hit a car, causing another accident. However, if you are in the center late or the right lane, you have more lanes into which you can turn to avoid an accident. Additionally, in the right lane, you would also have the choice to pull into the emergency lane to avoid an accident.

2. Scan the area ahead of you as you drive: Instead of simply staring at the car in front of you and admiring the bumper stickers and/or the vanity license plate affixed to it, try to look ahead of the car in front of you to see what that car is doing. The more focused you are on what is going ahead of you, the earlier you will spot a potential accident, and the more time you will have to avoid a crash. Keep in mind that while it is important to look ahead, don’t lose sight of what is happening right in front of you and on either side of you. Using your eyes to scan the area in front of you can ensure that you pay adequate attention to all possible danger zones.

3. Drive with your hands at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock on the steering wheel: While doing this might not make you look like the “coolest” person on the road, it could make you the safest. Leaning back with one hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and the other hand in your lap can reduce your ability to avoid an accident; if you need to swerve out of the way to avoid a crash, you need to have as much control as possible over the car’s steering; having your hands at 9 and 3 affords you this control. Old school theory on hand position was 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock. This has changed due to the airbag in the steering wheel which was causing hand injuries when hands were positioned at 10 and 2.

4. Keep your car in great shape: Keeping your car in good shape is important for many reasons, one of which is that a car in poor condition is more likely to get into a car accident. When we talk about keeping a car in good shape, we don’t just mean the body of the car; we mean everything attached to it, including and especially the tires and brakes. Many people try to eek out as many miles as they can out of their tires and brakes, as replacements can be quite expensive. While we support smart spending habits, the fact is that as tires and brakes grow older they lose their ability to grip the road and stop the car. If you find yourself in a situation in which you need complete control over the car to maneuver it away from a crash site, old tires and bad brakes might leave you sliding right into the accident ahead of you. Making sure your tires and brakes are in good shape could mean the difference between crashing and cruising.

Even with all of the safe driving tips available, accidents still happen. So, if you’ve been injured in an auto accident due to the negligence of another, please contact us for a free consultation. You can reach us by calling 561-266-9191 or by emailing us at daronberg@build.simple.biz. Our personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Aronberg & Aronberg look forward to assisting you!

Visits: 0