Ever found yourself in a road accident where you weren’t even at fault? That is frustrating, isn’t it?
Even when you finally receive some sort of legal compensation after all that hassle of the courts, and lawyers and having to navigate through the thick maze-like jungles of the legal documentation, filing, and claims, it barely ever feels worth it.
Especially as soon as one is done paying all the legal fees and dealing with the lawyers, there is really not much left for oneself and barely enough to fully compensate for the medical bills with all of the outstanding travel and trial dues to pay.
It becomes even more annoying when you know you are hardly at fault and even then you had to go through all of the mental and physical trauma despite the legal compensation and the pain of being in that accident, not to mention the almost lifelong post-traumatic stress that is most definitely going to be there if you were unable to put yourself through therapy.
Again, therapy isn’t cheap, and consulting a psychologist will almost always in such cases lead to a requirement that one take psychotherapy and heal some of the emotional and mental wounds that remain even after the incident that took place becomes a distant memory.
Let’s go over some defensive driving measures that one can take in order to minimize the chances of being caught in a road accident.
Vigilant Driving
Make sure to remain alert and attentive while driving. Stay present and focus on the road. Do whatever you can to make sure that your attention remains on the road and you do not go into distracted, autopilot driving mode.
Zoning out while you are driving on a busy road can be tricky and often lead to several health risks.
Therefore, it is important that the driver remain fully awake and present while they are driving a vehicle. Otherwise, it is better to ask someone else to switch places or stop and caffeinate for a minute.
Check for Mechanical Defaults
Before you bring any vehicle on the road, no matter how small or big, make sure to check for mechanical defaults.
You need to be a hundred percent sure that there are no defaults in the vehicle before you bring it out on the roads.
Even a cute and cozy car, when brought out onto the road, can lead to various safety risks once it spirals out of control in the middle of a busy road.
Therefore, it is important that no mechanical defaults go undetected. Be especially careful if you are driving a pre-owned vehicle, and always make sure that the brake settings are on point.
Take Safety Precautions
Take safety precautions such as always checking the rear-view mirrors every so often, keeping an eye on the side mirrors while driving, and always using turn signals, also known as indicators when you need to make a turn.
Always, always wear seatbelts, whether you are the driver or not. If there is a seatbelt, make sure you are wearing it. Buckle up and be prepared to dodge any drunk or distracted drivers.
Make sure your car has airbags. This one cannot be emphasized enough. The importance of having airbags in your car matters since it is the one that will play the better part in saving your life, whether you are the passenger or the driver. Not to mention how it will prevent any and all kinds of possibly traumatic head injuries.
Keep a Safe Distance from Speeding Vehicles
It is also important that while driving, one puts as much distance between themselves and any speeding vehicle as possible. If feasible, and safe, change lanes.
Just to be on the safe side. Otherwise, just make sure to get out of their way safely and remain vigilant so as to avoid any other inconvenience caused by you to someone else.
Stay Out of the Way of Shabby Drivers
Shabby drivers can either be drunk drivers or teenagers who go rogue. In either case, it is important to remain out of their way if you want to stay safe on the road.
Shabby drivers refer to people who aren’t exactly in full control of their vehicle. Their car may be going a bit sideways and then fast and then slow and then towards the other side. Higher chances are of these being drunk drivers.
Therefore, for the sake of your safety and that of others, it is pertinent that one must remain on the sidelines and save themselves first.
3 to 4 second Rule to the Rescue
All of us know that whenever there is a chance of collision, it is usually with the car ahead of us. Now, to control that and save your car, one of the best ways is to use the 2 to 4-second rule.
How is it done you may ask? Well, it’s actually easy. Count till 3 and 4 seconds in your heart as you reach close to the vehicle ahead and press the brake. This will easily give you a few seconds to think and press the brake before time.
These few seconds can not only save your life but also help keep you at a safe distance from damaging your car by collision.
Have an Alternate Route in Mind
It is never a bad idea to have an alternate route in your mind while you are driving. The change of route not only gives you access to the clear one but also increases your chances of staying safe and away from hazards.
This helps a lot with blocked paths too, so always have one escape route in your head while you leave your home for the road. It is best to take the vehicle to the route where there are chances of being seen and you get to see too.
Follow Traffic Rules
Last but not least, this has proven time and again to be one of the most important out of all the road safety precautions.
Religiously obeying traffic laws has always proven to be a lifesaver for every driver out there. You just need to be a little road-smart in the event of there being someone driving dangerously around you.
