{"id":1426,"date":"2016-04-28T06:49:12","date_gmt":"2016-04-28T06:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/?p=1426"},"modified":"2016-05-02T04:04:56","modified_gmt":"2016-05-02T04:04:56","slug":"car-accidents-ensure-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/car-accidents-ensure-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Car accidents: How to ensure your safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

All drivers fear car accidents. At least, all the smart ones do. The ones who are driving around without some sort of fear of car accidents<\/a> are very dangerous drivers indeed. But your average driver will worry about getting into some sort of accident. Even if it\u2019s less for health reasons and more for financial reasons, it\u2019s the ultimate cause for concern when someone gets behind the wheel.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Safe<\/a>Pixabay<\/a><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, there is no definitive way to prevent car accidents. While you can do everything in your power to prevent a car accident from your end, you can\u2019t control everyone else on the road. Even the safest driver on the planet can get into an accident if they happen to come across the clumsiest driver around. So as important as it is to take preventative measures, you also need to be prepared. Don\u2019t double up on safety and ignore the required preparation for an accident. If something happens, it\u2019s best that you already know what you should do. <\/span><\/p>\n

So this article will cover two things. You will see the most reliable ways of avoiding car accidents. You will also see a guide to what you should do if an accident does happen to you. All in all, it comprises a guide to keeping yourself safe in all circumstances. <\/span><\/p>\n

DISTRACTIONS<\/b><\/p>\n

The best way to avoid car accidents is to research their causes. Annoyingly, some of the most common causes of car accidents are things that could have easily have been avoided. If the people involved have been following obvious safety steps, they may have got to their destination without any trouble!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Safe<\/a>Flickr<\/a><\/p>\n

The number one cause is, of course, driving while distracted. It\u2019s people who fail to follow one of the most important rules there are on the road. And that\u2019s simply to <\/span>keep your eyes on it<\/span><\/i>. Despite being outlawed in <\/span>most states in the US<\/a><\/span>, for example, many people still divert their attention away from the road to check their cell phone. Eating food or checking yourself out in the mirror are also big no-nos. <\/span><\/p>\n

EXTREME RECKLESSNESS<\/b><\/p>\n

The other most common causes that are easily avoided are speeding and drunk driving. Here, we\u2019re entering the territory of severe law-breaking. But despite the high illegality of it, research has shown that a large number of people occasionally <\/span>go over the speed limit<\/span><\/a>. It seems obvious to write, but there\u2019s no avoiding it if we want to talk about accident prevention. The speed limits imposed on a particular stretch of road are not arbitrary numbers. Research was carried out on that area to get to that defined limit. Don\u2019t go over it. (And while we\u2019re at it, don\u2019t go under it!) <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Safe<\/a>Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n

As for drunk driving, isn\u2019t \u201cdon\u2019t drink and drive\u201d tired advice by now? The problem is that many people overestimate their ability to drive under the influence. It can a take surprisingly small amount of alcohol to affect your motor functions. Don\u2019t take the risk.\u00a0<\/span>Read more at GHSA.org.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

VISIBILITY AND UNEXPECTED BEHAVIOR<\/b><\/p>\n

There are other common causes of road accidents that don\u2019t get talked about as often. Improper turns and unsafe lane changes are also up there among the most frequent causes. But there\u2019s an element to those instances that people rarely take measures to prevent. What is often listed as the reason of the collisions themselves is that another driver was driving in your \u201cblind spot\u201d. This is the given name to the part of your wing mirror in which part of your own car is visible. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Safe<\/a>Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n

This blind spot is a big contributor to many road accidents, yet very few people take action. A lot of drivers talk about this blind spot as though it were just a natural risk of driving. But unless you\u2019re in an abnormally large vehicle (see: a big truck), then this is avoidable. <\/span>Just adjust your mirrors<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0You shouldn\u2019t be to see any of your own car in your mirror. <\/span><\/p>\n

PREPARING YOURSELF LEGALLY<\/b><\/p>\n

If you get into an accident, a lot of instincts are going to kick in. It\u2019s going to be difficult to think straight. You may be worried about the people you\u2019re driving with or the other driver in the accident. You may have been injured. You may feel a surge of intense anger or shock. You\u2019ll certainly have a lot of adrenaline coursing through your system. This is why it\u2019s important to have the steps you need to take sorted in your head <\/span>before <\/span><\/i>anything happens. <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to write about the legal steps first because they\u2019re often left by the wayside. But if you\u2019re in an accident that wasn\u2019t your fault, then these legal steps are crucial. There are some obvious pieces of advice that you\u2019re unlikely to fail on. For example, you need to stay on the scene. Don\u2019t attempt to leave it until the situation is sorted. Even if the accident was caused by the other driver, you could face criminal charges for leaving too soon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Safe<\/a>Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n

The first step is to ensure the safety of all the drivers and passengers. There are more details about this at the end of this article. Once those steps are taken, you should quickly <\/span>assess the damage caused<\/span><\/a>. If the damage is significant and caused by another driver\u2019s negligence, call the police. You\u2019ll want records of having contacted authorities about this.<\/span><\/p>\n

You then need to do some information hunting. Get all the info you can from the other driver. You should get their name, number, insurance information and license plate number. When interacting with the other driver, do not admit blame or assign it. Stay neutral. Legal complications can follow if you end up getting into an argument about blame. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Safe<\/a>Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n

If there are any nearby witnesses, get their contact information. You then need to inform your insurance company about the accident and take as many photos of the scene as you can. If you\u2019ve been injured, you should consider hiring an attorney. <\/span>Read more at InjuryFlorida.laywer<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

MAKING SURE EVERYONE IS OKAY<\/b><\/p>\n

This is the first thing you should do after an accident. The legal steps were put first because they\u2019re less likely to be followed correctly in the moment. It\u2019s important that you memorize those steps in case something does happen!<\/span><\/p>\n

Do your best to remain calm. Thankfully, most drivers actually do remain fairly calm after an accident. This is usually due to the shock. But an adrenaline rush can also cause you to act unreasonably. Take a deep breath and put all your focus into the condition of everyone around you. Move slowly at first. If you find yourself fully mobile, turn to others in the car. Ask if they\u2019re okay. Ensure you get positive responses from everyone before leaving the vehicle. If anyone seems injured or in severe shock or upset, call an <\/span>ambulance<\/span><\/a> out along with the police when you make the call.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Safe<\/a>Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n

Remember that not all resultant injuries are obvious or physical. Mental health can also be affected by crashes. <\/span>Read more at WedMD.com.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

You can\u2019t always prevent accidents, but you can be prepared for them. Commit as much of this guide to memory as you can.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You can\u2019t always prevent accidents, but you can be prepared for them. Commit as much of this guide to memory as you can.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":1427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[19,839,20],"class_list":["post-1426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wellness-2","tag-health","tag-road-safety","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1426"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1459,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1426\/revisions\/1459"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}