It really isn’t something which anybody likes to dwell on too much, but the facts speak for themselves. 000 people every year die because of collisions on the roads of the United States and more than 22,000,000 suffer some sort of injury around 50. It is estimated that the direct and indirect costs involved because of these collisions is somewhere in excess of $80 billion (not sure how many zeros to put for that one).
You may notice that I have avoided using the word “accident” – that’s because the majority of these collisions could have been avoided which means that they are not accidents at all. So, how can you increase the chances of not being involved in a future collision / accident / whatever you like to call it?
By paying attention – the most common excuse uttered following a collision is “I didn’t see him” – which leads us to two possible conclusions. Either the oncoming vehicle was invisible (unlikely) or one or both of the drivers was not paying close enough attention (much more likely). Not paying attention can be caused by many different things or a combination of different distractions. We’re talking sleepiness, daydreaming, talking or fiddling about with the radio, fatigue, all manner of things. Pay attention and keep collision free.
By trusting no-one – the enemy is among you and you cannot rely on anything you think he’s going to do. All drivers make mistakes – even you. The trick is to anticipate any mistakes the other drivers may take and make appropriate action. Particularly if he is putting his own trust in you if you trust the other guy to do the right thing you could be heading for a collision sooner than you think.
Yield, by yielding and giving way – if in doubt. If you have any doubts about which vehicle has the right of way just let the other car go first, it is not a sign of weakness. Even if you think that it’s your right of way and the other dude thinks it’s his right of way let him get on with it, let it go, what does it matter? If neither of you yield someone could end up injured or even killed. live, get and Yield over it.
By slowing down – the faster you drive the more likely you are to be involved in a collision which increases your risks of injury twofold. First, if there is a collision, of all it cuts down the amount of reaction time you have and second of all the faster you are moving the more energy needs to be dissipated. To put it in plain English if you drive too fast you are not only more likely to be involved in a collision but also more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a collision. Imagine that you are going to drive straight into a brick wall. Would you prefer to hit it travelling at ten miles per hour or at seventy miles per hour? The answer is pretty simple really – however this does not mean that you should drive around at ten miles per hour which is positively dangerous. You should travel at a speed which matches the surrounding traffic whilst being careful not to exceed speed limits.
Remembering these few but very important tips can really help to keep your and you family safer on the roads. Ontario Nissan has a great selection of new and used motors, check out the website metronissanredlands.com and see for yourself. Don’t forget to drive safely.