According to Utah Highway Safety, a car accident occurs in Utah every 10 minutes; an individual is injured every 23 minutes, with at least one fatality every 36 minutes. In 2012, the number of recorded collisions was 52,287, with 22,325 personal injury cases and 243 deaths. As of July 2019, the number of fatalities increased by 24.5% from 2018, bringing the total fatalities to 281. With these statistics, it helps to have a car accident lawyer by your side because you never know when you might be the victim.
Many Utah families are losing their loved ones in car accidents. A car accident lawyer only comes into play after a collision has happened. To achieve zero road accidents in The Beehive State, each individual should understand how to avoid them.
Here are a few tips:
Pull into Traffic Slowly
Instead of approaching traffic hastily, it would help if you stop, look, and listen. Pay attention to blind spot alerts and road signs. When you want to take a right turn at an intersection, look right and left twice before proceeding. Most motorists don’t understand that vehicles can appear out of the blue and cause an accident.
Watch Out for Kids
Children tend to cross roads without even checking oncoming traffic. We cannot blame them. A professional car accident lawyer advises that you keep your eyes open for children, especially on roadways next to parks, schools, and other kid-friendly facilities. When driving in a neighborhood, you need to maintain a low speed, for there will be kids present.
Assess 12 Seconds Ahead
Always scan the section of the road where you’ll be driving 12 seconds ahead. That will ready your mind for anything that might happen in-between. When going on a highway, stay as far from other vehicles as possible. In case someone should suddenly step into your lane, you can swerve and avoid them without causing an accident.
Avoid Tailgating
Give yourself a three-second space between you and the car in front of you. The secret is to start your journey early so that you don’t drive in a hurry. The vehicle may slow down or suddenly breakdown. With a three-second cushion, you have the chance to avoid the car.