Throughout the course of your life, you’re likely going to experience at least one road accident. This could be a situation where someone crashes their vehicle into yours or you crash your vehicle into theirs, regardless of whether it was intentional or not.
An accident may not be something that you want to happen, but it is usually unavoidable when it does happen. The aftermath of a road accident can be a major headache for not just yourself, but for others around you too. No matter whose fault it is, you’ll likely be forced to content with several inconveniences and unfortunate consequences, such as:
- Lawsuits
- Insurance troubles
- Hospital bills
- Major injuries
- Long-term injuries
- Missed workdays
- And many more problems!
Executive Towing Services and our tow trucks in Perth are here to offer affordable towing services that are delivered quickly. On the other hand, you should still take it upon yourself to practice safer driving habits to avoid accidents altogether. To help you out with this, we’ll discuss a few tips and tricks on how you can make this happen.
Accidents Can Be Prevented
Many road accidents can be prevented if you know which precautions to take. This means you must understand which types of actions are responsible for most of the traffic accidents on the roads today.
According to Australian statistics, the primary cause of car accidents is drivers who are distracted behind the wheel.
Distracted Driving Defined
Any activity which takes the driver’s attention away from the road is considered distracted driving. There are many possible activities which can cause these distractions. If you can learn what they are, then you’ll have a better chance of avoiding them.
1) Mobile Phone Use
An increasingly high number of drivers are using mobile phones behind the wheel. Word to the wise… do not use mobile phones while you’re driving under any circumstances. Otherwise, it could result in a serious traffic accident and possibly even a traffic-related death. And if that doesn’t happen, you may end up getting in trouble with the authorities because driving and using the phone at the same time is now illegal in all places throughout the country.
2) Reading Maps on a GPS
GPS technology is helpful when it speaks to you, but you shouldn’t be reading its on-screen maps while you’re driving. Unfortunately, a lot of drivers make this mistake and then suffer the consequences by getting into an accident. You must always put safety first. If you need to read the maps on the screen, then safely pull the car over first. At this point, you are safe and free to read the maps for as long as you want.
3) Eating while Driving
People are in such a hurry these days. They try to perform multiple actions at the same time, such as eating and driving. This is a dangerous combination because eating food requires you to take at least one hand off the steering wheel. Sometimes you may even need both hands to eat your food if it is big and messy. This is just too much of a distraction which can cause a lot of problems for you on the road. That is why you should eat your food first and then start driving.
There are so many other distractions that you need to consider too. For instance, smoking cigarettes, vaping, combing your hair, changing radio stations, or altering the air temperature can all distract you from driving. If you want to avoid these distractions, then perform all these actions before you start driving. But if you feel they’re necessary while you’re driving, then pull your vehicle over first just to be safe.
One minute of inconvenience and downtime is better than days or weeks of missing work. Right? The consequences of a roadside accident are far greater than we often imagine.
Other Roadside Accident Prevention Methods
Below is a list of 10 tips for preventing a roadside accident as you travel on the road:
1) Maintain your vehicle
Your vehicle has several safety features, such as headlights, tyres, and indicators. These features need to be working well whenever you’re operating the vehicle. If any of them are worn out or damaged, then you’re more likely to have an accident. As a result, the police and insurance company may blame you for the accident because you didn’t maintain these safety features ahead of time.
2) Pay Attention to your Environment
Always be aware of the cars and the people around you as you’re driving. The rear-view mirror and side mirrors are installed for a reason. Use them to study your surroundings so that you don’t make a careless mistake behind the wheel. Also, study the conditions of the road and alter your speed to drive more safely as needed.
3) Two Hands on the Steering Wheel
You should always keep two hands on the steering wheel. This gives you the best control possible over your vehicle’s movement. Whenever you must perform an action like activating a turn signal or cruise control, do this action quickly.
4) Adhere to Traffic Regulations
You’d think that obeying basic traffic laws would be common sense. However, so many people forget or simply ignore them for whatever reason. They may do things like running red lights, tailgating, speeding, failing to indicate or failure to stop at stop signs. Committing these traffic offences can result in accidents, fines, or both.
5) Drive slowly in the rain
There is a lot of heavy rainfall in Australian cities like Perth. It is best to wait for the rainfall to diminish or stop completely before driving on the road. If you don’t, then at least drive slowly in the rain to remain safe.
6) Avoid road rage
It is easy to get upset behind the wheel if another driver tailgates us or cuts us off. If this happens, try not to get upset by developing road rage. This kind of rage can cause you to drive aggressively and get into an accident as a result. That is why it is better to just drive slowly and ignore the inconsiderate jerks on the road.
7) No Alcohol
We’ve all been told not to drink and drive. This shouldn’t just apply to drinking while driving. Try not to drink an alcoholic beverage before driving either. If you do, then it could still leave you intoxicated by the time you get into your car. This will still make you a risk behind the wheel. Then if you get into an accident, your blood alcohol level will be tested. If it is above the legal limit, then you’ll get in legal trouble. Therefore, have a designated driver to take you home if you’ve been drinking.
8) Drive carefully if you’re a new driver
If you’re a new driver who is going on a long road trip, have a driver with more experience do most of the driving. This doesn’t mean you can’t drive at all because you should get experience behind the wheel. But the chances of an accident are reduced if you’re not driving as much as the experienced driver.
9) No sleepy driving
If you’re feeling tired, then you should never get behind the wheel. Falling asleep while driving is a sure recipe for disaster because you’re guaranteed to get into an accident if you do. If you suddenly feel sleepy behind the wheel, it is better to pull the car over and then take a nap until you’re feeling energetic again.
10) Beware of animals
Kangaroos and cattle are just some of the animals that may run out in front of your vehicle on the road. There is not much you can do here other than try to slow down safely if you have enough time to do so. If it’s a choice between swerving aggressively off the road versus hitting the animal, it is sometimes better to hit the animal if it means avoiding an accident with other cars or people.
Conclusion
There are always dangers when driving a vehicle. Some dangers cannot be controlled while others can. It is best to take every precaution possible to reduce the chances of an accident.