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February 20, 2023

Important Tips To Avoid Car Accidents

Many car accidents can be avoided by increasing levels of awareness and practicing safe driving tips. As your Silver Spring, MD auto accident lawyer, we want you to know how to avoid a car accident so that personal injury does not occur.

Rear-End Collisions

Follow the 3-Second Rule

Rear-end collisions are one of the most common types of car accidents. Whether you rear-end someone else or another car slams into the back of your car, there are ways to help avoid this type of occurrence.

The National Safety Council recommends the 3-second rule. It states that you should maintain a 3-second safety distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you. To avoid a car accident Maryland drivers should follow these steps.

When the car in front passes a stationary object like a road sign or fire hydrant, start counting, one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three. When you get to the 3rd second, you should be passing the same object; no sooner. In hazardous conditions, add at least an extra second to this rule.

Single Car Accidents

Single-car accidents are almost always entirely avoidable.

Follow Speed Limits on Curves

You should always respect posted speed limits, especially so on curves. On/ramps, merge lanes, and bends in the road have posted speed limits that, if you exceed them, exponentially increase your odds of going into a spin or running right off the road.

Slow Down in Hazardous Conditions

Your F-10 truck, giant SUV, or brand-new winter tires are no match for hazardous roads. All it takes is a tiny patch of black ice, an unexpected movement by another car, or a sudden mechanical failure to lead to a car accident at high speeds.

Car Parking Accidents

Your car’s not even 100% safe when you’re not behind the wheel. Avoid parked car damage.

Park Next to a Stationary Object

You reduce the chances of getting hit when you are parked next to a light pole, a wall, or a shopping cart rack.

Choose Garage Over Lot

Parking garages are better as far as parked car damage because of the way that spots are configured.

Be Wary of Loose Carts

Avoid parking near abandoned shopping carts. They do not take much wind to start rolling away.

Minimize Windshield Damage

Windshield damage cannot be entirely avoided since small objects can hit your windshield while driving and cause divots in the windshield. But you can minimize the damage by getting those divots filled in/repaired right away. Those long cracks in windshields result from tiny divots that were left unrepaired and developed into giant cracks. It is cheaper to get a small divot fixed than to replace a whole windshield.

Intersection Car Accidents

Intersections pose a greater risk of car accidents. Minimize your risk by following these safety tips:

Take a Second

When your light turns green, take a second and look left and right to make sure no vehicles are trying to race through at the last possible minute. Then proceed through the intersection.

Do Not Assume 

When you and the car in front of you are both waiting for your opportunity to turn left, it is easy to assume the car in front will go. But drivers miss opportunities to turn all the time. If you hit the gas, assuming they are moving, and then they suddenly brake, you may have a collision on your hands. Instead, make sure they are really going to turn through before proceeding yourself.

Double-check for Pedestrian Traffic 

Many intersection car accidents can be avoided by double-checking for bicycles, running teenagers, joggers, and other pedestrian traffic before crossing a crosswalk into the intersection. Do not just rely on your peripheral vision because you may miss someone who is racing to take advantage of a changing crosswalk sign.

How Montero Law Group Can Help You in a Car Accident

At Montero Law Group, LLC, we are ready to represent your interests as your personal injury attorney in Silver Spring. Our experienced and knowledgeable team of Silver Spring lawyers can help build your case, determine the amount of your potential claim, negotiate with insurance companies, and ensure the maximum possible settlement for your car accident personal injury. We can even represent you in court if necessary. Contact us today for a consultation.