As an Orlando personal injury lawyer, I often help car accident victims receive compensation for their injuries. Sadly, many of these accidents could have been avoided through careful driving. Residents of Orlando are well aware of the dangers of flash flooding and sudden storms, but other dangers lurk! Consider these 5 road safety tips you have never heard before:
- Do not swerve to avoid hitting an animal. If you encounter a small animal and feel you are going to hit it, do NOT swerve. Experts warn that swerving endangers the driver and passengers of the vehicle, as well as others on the road. If you do hit the animal in the roadway, it will be sad, but you will have kept yourself, your passengers, and others on the road safe. If a larger animal like a deer is in the roadway, apply your brakes and attempt to avoid a head-on collision but do not swerve. Although hitting a deer may damage your vehicle, it will likely cause less damage (and potential injuries) than hitting a tree or another car.
- Use your air conditioning to clear a foggy windshield on a cool day. A foggy windshield may not seem like a big deal, but it can block your vision and result in an accident. To quickly clear a foggy windshield, turn on your air conditioner. The air conditioner will rapidly remove moisture from the air and your windshield will be crystal clear in no time.
- Think voice commands are okay? Think again! A University of Utah study found that the average individual requires 27 seconds to regain full attention after giving a voice command. Do not assume that simply because a device or a system is hands-free it is safe to operate. This study, and others like it, show that these systems can be very distracting and can play a role in accidents. Instead, either find a safe location and pull over to make that phone call or text, or simply wait until you reach your destination.
- Use daytime running lights for safety. A Minnesota Department of Transportation study indicates individuals who do not use daytime running lights are 1.73 times more likely to get into a car accident than those who do. This study of 10,000 vehicles indicates that the constant use of headlights is effective at reducing crash rates. If your car does not have daytime running lights, simply turn on your headlights each time you start the car.
- You may still have alcohol in your system the morning after! Do not assume that you are safe to drive after sleeping off the effects of alcoholic beverages. In reality, you may still be under the influence of alcohol. A rule of thumb is that each unit of alcohol takes about one hour to clear your system. That means, if you consume 4 pints of beer, and each pint contains 3 units of alcohol, you need a full 12 hours until the alcohol has cleared your system completely.
Avoid accidents by following safety guidelines and regulations and driving defensively. And remember, if an accident does happen, contact an Orlando personal injury attorney right away to assist you with your case. Contact Todd Miner Law®️ online or call us at 407-894-1480.
