HOW TO AVOID AN AUTO ACCIDENT

If you have been involved in an auto accident, your Myrtle Beach personal injury attorney at Axelrod & Associates, P.A. is here to help you recover full compensation from the at-fault driver. We also would like to help as many people as possible avoid the trauma of car crashes, and we have compiled some of the best practices to avoid an auto accident based on our own experience with auto accident cases.

Don’t be Negligent

This may be obvious, but the types of behavior that would establish actionable negligence on the part of an at-fault driver are also the types of behavior to avoid if we want to keep ourselves and our families safe on the road, including:

• Follow the rules of the road. Many auto accidents could have been completely avoided or greatly mitigated if the at-fault driver had followed the traffic laws. Driving faster than the speed limit, following too closely, driving recklessly, and failing to obey traffic signals are often the direct cause of auto accidents.
• Do not drive while distracted. Texting, making phone calls, setting the GPS, applying make-up, eating or drinking, or manipulating any kind of electronics while driving is another leading cause of traffic accidents.
• Do not drink before driving. The effects of alcohol on a driver’s reaction time and judgment are well documented. South Carolina’s DUI laws create an inference of intoxication at a blood alcohol content above .08, but even one drink can have some effect on your reaction time and ability to drive safely.
• Make sure that your car’s equipment is properly maintained and operating. Broken tail lights, head lights, or brake lights should be fixed immediately. Faulty brakes, bald tires, or cracked windshields can all contribute to causing an auto accident.

Other Best Practices

Other common-sense practices that may or may not be considered negligent depending on the circumstances include:

• Lose your ego while driving. When another driver cuts you off and you feel your composure beginning to slip, brush it off and swallow your ego. Let the other driver “win,” suppress the rising road rage, and live to drive another day. Ego may be the true cause of more auto accidents, injuries, and deaths than you think.
• Drive defensively. Do not drive aggressively. Always anticipate what other drivers around you may do next and be prepared. Expect that other drivers will run a red light or disregard a stop sign, and train yourself to always look for an escape route in the event of an emergency.
• Slow down and take extra care when driving in bad weather. If visibility is low or roads are slippery, slow down and be extra-alert until the weather passes. Pull off the road and wait if necessary.
• Drive the speed limit.
• Avoid driving in the fast lane. Most accidents occur in the left lane of traffic.
• Avoid driving at night whenever possible. Visibility is poor at night and there will be more drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs on the roads.

Stay safe on the roads. But if you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident, schedule a free consultation with a Myrtle Beach personal injury lawyer on the Axelrod team. Call us at 843-353-3449 or fill out our contact form today.