If you’ve avoided auto accidents and personal injury insurance, count your lucky stars. Today, it’s not a question of “if” but “when,” given our frantic schedules, high-tech gadgetry, and volume of vehicles on the road.
Here are some steps to help those who have and those who have not:
1. “Rush” hour is an oxymoron – so don’t be a “moron” about rushing to and from work. The only things that are usually “rushing” are your blood pressure and heart rate during the morning or afternoon drive times. Here’s a simple suggestion: leave a few minutes earlier. Set your alarm clock just five minutes earlier than your normal time, go about your usual routine and leave five minutes earlier. Giving yourself this extra cushion of just five minutes can be the difference between arriving on time in a calm manner than arriving five minutes late in a frenzied, irate manner – which mood would you rather greet your boss?
Take only 30 minutes for lunch and leave a few minutes early (if you have this flexibility). If you don’t have this flexibility, then leave a few minutes later (your boss will be happy). Leaving a few minutes later can allow the peak rush hour to somewhat subside – chances are you’ll still arrive home about the same time but minus the frustration of sitting in traffic.
2. Leave a “gap” between you and the vehicle in front of you. This applies regardless of whether you are stopped at a traffic light or moving in traffic. This is called “defensive” driving – something we were taught at a younger age, but have forgotten along the way.
The rule of thumb is if the gap is wide enough when you’re stopped at a traffic light, you can see the vehicle’s tires in front of you. This protects you from a possible “chain reaction collision” (i.e., the car behind you hits you and pushes you into the car in front of you). At least you won’t be “sandwiched” should this occur.
If you are moving in traffic, the rule of thumb is to leave one car length for every ten miles of speed that you are traveling (i.e., if you are driving 30 mph, you should leave three car lengths between you and the vehicle in front of you). This would give you ample time to stop and possibly avoid a rear-end collision if the vehicle in front of you suddenly stops or loses control. I know you’re shaking your head at this point, because leaving this much room just invites cars to cut in front of you. That’s okay. Isn’t it better to arrive in tact rather than hassle with an auto accident, or worse, suffer serious bodily injuries that may take years from which to recover – all in the name of “ego”?
3. Keep your eyes on the vehicle in front of you before proceeding. You should do this at traffic lights, when yielding onto a roadway, at a stop sign – whenever there is a stopped vehicle in front of you. This is because you may be looking at the oncoming traffic or at the traffic light that’s turned green and automatically step on the accelerator. But, the car in front of you may not have the same reaction time. BAM! You have just rammed into the back of the car in front of you and guess what, it’s your fault!
The majority of auto accidents and personal injury auto claims happen for these very reasons. Not paying attention, following too closely, or rushing to and from work – and accidents happen in the blink of an eye – but if you follow these three simple steps, you significantly decrease your chances of becoming another traffic statistic. One more thing you can consider is a driver alert device to make sure that you stay awake on the road at all times.
Tags: accident insurance, auto accident personal injury insurance claim, automobile accident
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