New York Personal Injury Lawyers

Avoid Personal Injury: Tips for Safe Driving

By Dansker & Aspromonte

Related Posts

July 2, 2024

New York Personal Injury Law Firm Consultation Preparation

Categories

Avoid Personal Injury by Driving Safely

Despite technological improvements that have made cars safer, accident numbers across the country are continuing to rise. In 2014, there were over 299,400 car crashes in the state of New York, and nearly 40% of them resulted in personal injuries. 1,026 people lost their lives in those crashes, and in many cases, these incidents could have been prevented. By following some important safe driving tips, you can increase the chance that you and your passengers will arrive at your destination safely.

Observe the Speed Limit

The speed limit signs posted on the side of the highway are there for a good reason. According to the NHTSA, speeding is a major contributing factor to auto crashes. In 2008, speeding was involved in 31% of all fatal car crashes in the U.S., resulting in over 11,600 personal injuries. Speeding is a problem in urban city driving, with people driving erratically to get to where they want to go as soon as possible. Increasing your chances of crashing by 50% and possibly losing your life by driving 10 mph over the speed limit isn’t going to get you to your destination as fast as you think.

Ditch the Distractions

Any activity that prevents you from giving the road your complete attention while driving is extremely dangerous. Therefore, it is important to avoid distractions when you are behind the wheel. We live in an increasingly busy world and while it is no surprise that drivers attempt to multi-task to save time, these activities can be hazardous. For this reason, many states like New York and Maryland have passed laws to ban texting and other cellphone activities while driving. However, technology is not the only problem. Eating while you drive, having an intense conversation with your passenger, or trying to put on makeup while driving are also major safety concerns.

Don’t Tailgate

Tailgating is a major problem in city driving, especially when maneuvering through congested areas. In cities like New York, Chicago, and San Diego, the constant stop-and-go traffic often leads to drivers following too closely, resulting in accidents if drivers slam on their brakes too fast. Unfortunately, these rear-end collisions frequently lead to devastating personal injuries like whiplash and back pain. To avoid them, make sure that you are leaving a significant amount of space between your vehicle and the motorist in front of you, ensuring you have plenty of time to stop in the event of an emergency.

Have an Escape Plan

In order to be safe on the road, it is important that you always have an escape plan in case of an emergency. This is a skill that develops with time and experience and involves constantly scanning what is going on in front of and behind you, as well as knowing what other motorists might be doing in adjacent lanes. Determining what you’ll do in the event of an emergency can help you to act quickly in the event of a problem.

A variety of things can go wrong when you are on the road. The semi-truck in front of you can have a tire blowout, a deer might dart out into the street, or a car in the next lane might cut you off. It is important that you have a plan in the event of an emergency and by being conscious of your surroundings and maintaining control of your vehicle, you can reduce your chances of personal injuries.

 

Always Wear Your Seatbelt

When worn properly, seatbelts can save lives, as they’ll prevent you from moving around inside of a vehicle during a crash and receiving personal injuries. Even more importantly, a seatbelt can keep you from being ejected from the car during an accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than half of all car accident fatalities were a result of people who did not wear seatbelts. Did you know that as the driver, you are not the only one in danger? Young passengers are also at risk. In fact, about 70% of fatal car crash victims ages 13-15 were not wearing seatbelts.

Most driving injuries could be avoided if motorists made an effort to stay safe on the road. By following these tips, you can work to keep yourself and other motorists safe when you are behind the wheel.

Recover Your Life

Let Us Fight For You
Free & Confidential Consultation

By submitting, you agree to be contacted about your request.

Unfortunately, based on your query, we are unable to assist you at this time. Our firm specializes in serious accidents and negligence cases, such as car accidents, slips and falls, construction accidents, and other accidents that require hospitalization or ongoing treatment.

Proven Record of Success

Dansker & Aspromonte Associates LLP has been advocating for the rights of the injured since 1986. We have the tools, resources, knowledge, and commitment to get you the best possible outcome.

Providing Answers & Solutions

Our team is committed to always being able to provide you with updates on your case and answers to your questions. This is your case and we want to be sure you are confident every step of the way.

Small Firm Dedication & Focus

Our firm is different from most firms in our area in that we are a “boutique” type firm that is small enough to give personal attention to our clients and yet experienced and powerful with a reputation as a hard-hitting litigation firm.

Innovative Legal Strategies

Each client that comes to our team gets a managing partner and trial partner dedicated to their case. We put our collective 100 years of experience behind your case to obtain the best possible outcome on your behalf.