An experienced accident attorney will have assisted numerous auto accident victims with their cases that involved vehicle crashes. You want an attorney who has experience with a variety of accidents from minor fender benders to more severe crashes that involved 18-wheel trucks and train accidents.
It’s important to note that statistics convey that most auto accidents are preventable and often predictable. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, over 90% of all car accidents involve a type of human error, mainly, distracted driving.
Two Important Ways to Prepare
Auto accident lawyers will tell you from their experience that there are a couple of initial ways you can prepare yourself while driving in order to prevent accidents. Both of them have to do with being in the right mindset and then using your knowledge of safe driving techniques in a defensive driving manner. Here are the two primary elements to consider:
Stay Focused – Any action that either takes your mind off of concentrating on the road or your hands off the wheel can potentially be fatal. Distracted Driving is often cited as the leading cause of most accidents today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There are three main types of distraction:
- Visual: taking your eyes off the road;
- Manual: taking your hands off the wheel; and
- Cognitive: taking your mind off of driving
Expect the Unexpected – When you’re on the road you are dealing with the general public who are people that just like anybody else are prone to making errors and mistakes. There is no way to know for sure what may happen but if you are prepared, have a plan, you can have a better idea of what to expect. Some examples are:
- Inclement weather – heaving rain, flooding, snow, ice all cause hazardous road conditions. Knowing how to handle your vehicle in these situations and being aware of your surroundings.
- Erratic or aggressive drivers – challenging behavior of other drivers and even simple in-car actions can happen very quickly. This means you have little or no time to contemplate before you react. Keep your distance and check your side and rear view mirrors frequently so you always know where what direction you can go in the case that a sudden stop or evasive maneuver is needed.
“Traffic crashes are not accidents, but are avoidable events caused by a single variable or chain of variables.”