When Illinois motorists take to the roads, they must constantly be on the lookout for potentially dangerous situations. Whether another driver is speeding and weaving in and out of traffic, or a fellow motorist refuses to yield, drivers can still prevent accidents from occurring in many instances. A Lake County car accident lawyer knows that defensive driving is one of the best ways to keep these accidents from happening. Drivers should practice the following four tips to improve their defensive driving skills and keep themselves and their families safe while traveling.
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Table of Contents
1. Pay attention
Distraction.gov reports that inattention while driving led to 3,328 deaths and 421,000 injuries in 2012, which was up nine percent from 2011. Almost every accident can be traced in part to one or both motorists failing to pay proper attention to the roads. According to Roadtrip America, taking it to the opposite extreme by being completely aware of what is occurring around the vehicle at all times is the only way to ensure that if needed, there would be enough time to react and prevent a collision.
2. Obey the law
Many motorists fail to heed the law and cause serious accidents and injuries as a result of their recklessness. When motorists speed, they reduce their reaction times and increase the amount of energy that must dissipate during accidents, both of which often have fatal consequences. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, many motorists who combine two dangerous actions – speeding and following too closely – are killed in an accident before their brains can even comprehend that they need to slow their vehicle down. Even if other motorists pressure drivers to increase their speeds, they should always heed the speed limit.
3. Always yield
One thing a Lake County car accident lawyer does not expect to hear during a consultation is that the car accident victim yielded and it resulted in a collision. If motorists want to be sure that they will not end up in a car accident, yielding to other motorists can be very beneficial. Even if a car has no business squeezing in ahead of those that were in front of them, or every car reached a stop sign at the exact same time, yielding may be the only way to ensure that an accident does not occur.
4. Wear the belt
No matter how good at defensive driving motorists become, if they are not wearing their seat belts they are gambling with their lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seat belts reduce crash injuries and fatalities by around 50 percent.
Unfortunately, motorists can only take steps to modify their own behavior and not that of those they come into contact with on the roads. Those who have suffered an injury at the hands of a negligent motorist should contact a Lake County car accident lawyer for assistance in seeking compensation.
