Welcome back to the Westphal Law Group blog! Our last blog post was the first part of a series that is covering some of the primary causes of car accidents and how they can be avoided. Westphal Law Group has dealt with quite a few personal injury cases that occurred because of an accident. In doing so, we’ve seen what the most common causes are and how they’re occurring. Our last blog post covered the top two, but today’s blog post will go into further depth with these causes and why they need to be avoided.
Running Red Lights
We’ve all been there, quickly approaching a stop light that’s turning red. When you get to that point, you’re not sure if your next move is to step on the gas and make it or to slow down and wait out the yellow light. However, the truth is that all of us do actually know what we need to do, and the answer is sit it out.
Running red lights is another major cause of auto accidents throughout the country. Not only are they the main causes of getting injured in an accident, but they’re also one of the most common methods of wrongful death. When someone is even the slightest bit negligent and a car has the right of way, it immediately becomes the person that ran the light’s fault.
Even though it’s tempting to run through at times, simply remember that these lights will only add a couple of minutes onto your commute, and they’re much better than having to deal with a personal injury case in the long run or having a horrible accident that you have gotten in. Ultimately, this one is a pretty clear answer in regards to why you should stop for a minute and hold off.
Night Driving
For many, driving at night is not an ideal situation to come across. While it isn’t horribly different than driving in the day, for some the ability to stay in the lines, make safe changes, and be fully aware of their surroundings becomes much more challenging when the sun goes down. In fact, this is the case for so many people that night driving is one of the many risks that does wind up causing accidents.
If you are unable to fully grasp your surroundings, the cars that are around you or you just get a little bit more nervous, the best thing that we can suggest is finding an alternate way of transportation or avoid driving at all costs. They aren’t great suggestions to have to turn to, and there will certainly be times where you have no other option. In those cases, do your best to drive on major roads that you can count on being lit while you drive down them. This will provide you with as much lighting as possible so that you can see clearer.
Road Rage
When you get cut off while driving or someone flips you the bird, it’s easy to let your emotions get the best of you. It’s in these instances that we wind up with a lead foot on the gas pedal and an attitude that is out for vengeance.
While these types of situations certainly do happen, it’s not something that we should continue to let happen. These instances happen in a flash and then they’re gone, but we are somehow able to turn it into a full-blown issue when it does. When our emotions get the best of us in these instances, it can become overwhelming and lead to a serious accident.
If you have issues with road rage or anger management, then finding a method to collecting yourself or maintaining your cool is something that you should spend some time trying to figure out ways that you can calm yourself down in these scenarios. Doing so will definitely minimize the feelings while you’re driving and, at the very least, make you aware of your emotions at the moment.
Driving While Tired
The things that cause some of the most brutal accidents are caused by some of the smallest things. For example, driving while you’re tired or drowsy can become an incredible hazard. In fact, so many of the accidents that have been recorded have been because of driving while too tired to focus that it became one of the top 25 leading causes of car accidents.
It’s incredibly hard to focus while driving and not entirely alert, but it’s also super difficult when you have to react to something in the road or another car that’s not driving great. While it isn’t always an ideal thing to have to do, if you are too tired to manage driving well on the road, pull over and take a quick nap. Even 15 to 30 minutes worth of a nap will provide you with the refocus that you need to approach the road with a clear mentality.
Weather Hazards
There’s no doubt that weather can be brutal for commutes. Luckily, San Bernardino doesn’t have to worry too much about any snow coming in and blocking the roads. We do, however, have large quantities of rain that can come down at a moments notice and morning fogs that make seeing the road a challenge in and of itself.
These types of hazards are impossible to avoid but they are ones that you’ll wind up having to manage your driving skills with anyhow. When you are in these types of situation, we suggest slowing down and correcting your driving method to something that takes these things into consideration. If that means turning your brights on, turning your lights on, using your windshield wipers or simply just moving to the far right lane, make sure that you adjust your driving with the accommodations of the road.
While we have listed quite a few of the distractions and circumstances that cause accidents, they aren’t the only ones. The best way to truly avoid an accident is by focusing on the road and being responsible when you’re behind the wheel; you are the only one that can control that.
In the case that you have been in an accident and are now dealing with a personal injury case, contact Westphal Law Group. We offer free consultations so that you can get an honest idea of what your case will look like throughout the process and how we’ll progress in the coming months. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation! We can’t wait to start building support for your case.
