The Safe Driver

The ways on how you can avoid getting caught in a car accident

**A contributed post as written for The Safe Driver by John Curtain.

Regardless of the model of the car that you’re driving, you’ll want to ensure that you can get to your destination unharmed and still in one piece. However, if you’ve been driving a car for a long time, you might tend to slack off from time to time, especially as you may feel that it has become a routine part of your day that it’s almost as if you’re on autopilot mode. But you can’t afford to get lax at all for every second that you spend driving your car lest you fall victim to an accident. Thus, here are some ways on how you can avoid getting caught in a car accident that can help you on the road:

1. Regularly check your car if it’s in working condition and fix any broken parts immediately or have them fixed at a car repair shop.

Prevention is better than cure, or so the oft-quoted saying goes. Thus, you shouldn’t wait for a car accident to happen to you by taking preventive measures on your car.

• Your schedule might be hectic, but you should set a designated time wherein you’ll need to do a thorough inspection of your car and be on the lookout for any non-working parts that need fixing.
• For broken minor car parts, you can fix them yourself as long as you know what you’re doing. Tutorials on how to fix a certain minor car part are available online for you to watch and try to apply to your car, but make sure as well that you have the right tools for any DIY (do it yourself) fixes that you’ll do.
• However, if you feel that you can’t fix a broken part of your car by yourself, you’ll have to drive your way to your preferred car repair shop and have it fixed there by a mechanic who can handle your car better. It may cost more than doing repairs on your own, but better to have a professional fix your car back into tip-top shape than try to DIY your way into it and end up costing more money in the process.

1. Get at least eight hours of sleep every night before deciding to drive your car the next day.

You might say to yourself that you’re used to getting very little sleep, especially if you feel that you can still function normally afterward.

• But driving a car requires your senses to be extra alert, aware, and involved in your surroundings so that you can instantly react to any sign of impending trouble that can get you in an accident.
• Not getting enough sleep and driving afterward can cause you to commit drowsy driving and suddenly hit another vehicle as a result.
• Thus, even if you’re a light sleeper, you should still strive to get at least eight hours of sleep every night so that you’re well-rested once you step inside your car the next day and drive it.

1. Only drive your car and don’t do anything else other than that.

Multitasking might seem easy for you to pull off to the point that you’ve already considered it as one of your very few talents. But when you’re driving your car, multitasking can get you in an accident faster than if you focused on driving alone.

• The minute you put your hands on your car’s steering wheel, they should remain there for the entire duration of your drive instead of reaching for your phone here, a takeout burger sandwich there, or a CD that you’d like to play so that you won’t get bored while on the road.
• But if you feel the need to do something else, you can pull over to the side or shoulder of a road and do it there so that you won’t get distracted while driving your car. Or better yet, do it already at home before taking the wheel.

1. Avoid driving at night if possible. But when you do, make sure that your car’s head, tail, and signal lights are all working.

If your shift at work ends every afternoon, you can drive yourself back home without having to use your headlights. You can then use your entire night to relax, cook yourself some dinner, watch the evening news or your favorite movie, and go to sleep instead of driving your car.

• The risk that you’ll get caught in a car accident increases at night, and your vision doesn’t work the same in the dark as during daytime. So if you don’t have any urgent matter to attend to at night, you shouldn’t drive your car from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next day.
• However, in case you have to drive at night, you should ensure that all lighting systems of your car aren’t busted so that you can still have a light source even as you drive along some poorly lit road.

According to Transport Canada, more than 100,000 motor vehicle collisions occur each year, some of which involve cars. As someone who spends time on the road while driving a car, you would want to ensure that every second behind the wheel isn’t putting your life in grave danger. After all, most – if not all – car accidents are completely preventable as long as you start doing the above-listed ways on how you can avoid getting caught in one. More than going from one place to another in style and comfort, getting to your destination safely using your car is also what you want to happen instead of being on the receiving end of a car accident.

Know the potential legal consequences of auto accidents by clicking here.

John Curtain

John is a specialist legal writer who works on key areas of automotive law, personal injury and other areas in the  industry. He enjoys writing about many different subjects and sharing his experience across 10 years of knowledge.