drive defensively
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Driving defensively can help you to avoid being involved in a traffic accident. There is a lot that we can do to keep from putting ourselves into dangerous driving situations. It doesn't take any special training it just takes thinking about what would you do "IF", and avoiding those situations as much as possible. |
Red Lights and Stop Signs Do Not Stop Cars
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That's right,  red lights and stop signs do not stop cars, BREAKS stop cars. Everyday in every city accidents are caused by people going through red lights and stop signs. Some of these accidents are fatal and many cause serious injury.
What if you are first in line at a traffic light and the signal turns green and you take off, the motorist that just got the red light doesn't see it or thinks he can beat it, slams into the side of your car. You will most certainly be injured. The severity depends on how fast he was going and the ability of you and your car to withstand the crash.
Now, what if you had gotten your green light and before taking off, you look both ways to make sure your way is clear. The guy goes through the red light, you think some bad thoughts about him, and then go safely on your way. Much better out come.
You cannot assume that everyone is paying attention and following the law. How many accidents, injuries and deaths would be avoided if everyone followed this very simple rule?
Always look both ways before starting up, even when you have the right of way.
REMEMBER RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS DO NOT STOP CARS... BREAKS STOP CARS.
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Don't Turn Those Wheels Until You Are Ready
You are about to make a left hand turn at an intersection but you have stopped to wait for a few oncoming cars to go through before you make your turn. The speed limit is, let's say, 50 MPH.
What if a guy coming up behind you miscalculates how close he was to you and runs into the back of your car? (The rear ender is the most common of all accidents).
The answer to this question and perhaps your life depends on whether your wheels were pointed straight ahead or if you had turned your wheels in preparation of making your turn.
If your wheels were pointed straight ahead the result is that you just got into a relatively minor fender bender.
If you had turned your wheels in preparation for your turn, you just got pushed into the path of the oncoming traffic you were waiting for that was going 50 MPH. In other words a potentially fatal head-on crash.
NEVER SIT WITH YOUR WHEELS TURNED WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. THEY CALL IT THE BLIND SPOT FOR A REASON
You are driving along a 4 lane road in the right hand lane, going about the speed limit, when all of a sudden the guy in the left lane changes lanes and turns into your car. You have just been in an accident, you both pull over, call the cops, he get a ticket and you go on your way, in your damaged car.
What if, you had been driving defensively and noticed that you were driving along in the guys blind spot? You think to yourself that this is a potentially dangerous situation and make a slight adjustment to your speed to remove yourself from the danger. He changes lanes and there is no accident.
Although when there was the accident he is the one that got ticketed but you could have easily avoided putting yourself in the situation in the first place.
AVOID THE OTHER GUYS' BLIND SPOT WHENEVER POSSIBLE. |
