Tips for Avoiding Brooklyn Car Accidents This Summer
As more and more people come out after the pandemic, roads are once again congested. Many people have done little to no driving over the last year and may be “rusty” or less careful than they were in the past. During the pandemic, there were fewer accidents but injuries and fatalities were up. Why? People were more aggressive and less careful.
Always Remember to Drive Defensively
As I explained to my children, “the reason they call them accidents is that they generally happen by accident.” In 99.9% of cases, nobody intended to collide with another vehicle, bicycle or pedestrian. Yet it happened. In most cases, one or more individuals were careless, reckless, distracted, self-absorbed and just not focused on the safety of themselves and others.
By driving defensively, you will be less of a risk to others, and you will be better prepared for the poor driving skills of other drivers.
The Three Second Rule and Beyond
One of the things taught drivers education is that you should be three seconds or more behind the car in front of you. A more conservative approach is that you should be at least one second behind for every 10 mph of speed. If traffic is 60 mph, have a six second gap between you and the car in front of you. Yes, it is a large gap but that gap gives you time to react and slow your vehicle should the car in front of you suddenly stop or get in an accident itself.
Many accidents occur when one vehicle rear ends another. Some drivers are careless, others aggressive and still others simply think nothing will happen to them. When the car in front of them stops suddenly, they simply do not have time to react and slow their vehicle. As a result, they strike the vehicle in front of them which can cause injuries and damage to property. In some cases, it can send the struck car into pedestrians, bicycle riders and other vehicles.
By simply maintaining a gap between yourself and the cars in front of you, you greatly increase your chances of being able to avoid an accident.
Keep Your Tires Well Inflated
Well it may sound like a strange point, cars with low tires have more difficulty slowing and breaking in an emergency situation. Also, when the pressure is low the tire becomes more flexible which can cause a separation from the wheel or a blowout. It is also more susceptible to potholes and other damage.
Keeping your tires well inflated will help you keep in control of your vehicle reduce your risk of accidents.
Be Sure to Keep a Flashlight and Reflectors in the Car
Should you have an accident or breakdown, it is important that you have a flashlight on you, reflectors to put in the road indicating that you are stopped and that people should avoid coming close to your vehicle. Do not rely solely on your hazard lights. If your battery dies they do no good.
If You Have Been an Accident, Try to Safely Get off to the Side of the Road
In the event of an accident, you may be in the middle of the road or an intersection. If you can do so safely, take a few quick pictures of the accident scene and move the vehicle to the side of the road. If you are in the middle of an intersection or highway, there is a risk that approaching vehicles will not be able to stop and may hit you or your vehicle as well.
Your safety comes first, be sure to protect yourself and your family.
Gather Information at the Accident Scene
When an accident occurs, it is important that you gather useful information in order to file an insurance claim, police report and take steps to preserve your legal rights. Today, nearly every cell phone has a camera built-in. Use it to take pictures of the scene of the accident. Be sure to get the accident from several angles, and include the background (such as stores) in several pictures if you need to prove the location of the accident.
Consider putting your camera and video mode and hitting record to help you create a recording of the discussions after the accident. You may not be in the clearest state of mind and recording the conversations (where allowed by law) will help you gather useful details that you may have otherwise forgotten.
Contact Our Lawyers to Discuss Your Rights
Finally, if you have been an accident, reach out to our attorneys and let’s discuss your case. You may be entitled to substantial compensation for your injuries. Time, however, may be very limited to file a claim. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can help you evaluate your case and advise you on how to proceed.
