Driving Tips on a Rainy Day

The weather can really get crazy. Summer has gone way hotter than it used to. On the other hand, it rains cats and dogs when the wet season comes. That is why you should not be surprised anymore if these changes in weather conditions happen all too frequently now. If you don’t want to figure in an accident and call your personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles, please observe these simple safe driving tips on a rainy day:

• Be conspicuous. Use your headlamps. Turn on the fog lamps, if necessary. If the rain is falling too hard, turn on your hazard lights, too. These lamps help you be seen on the road. This way, you can avoid getting rear-ended or figuring in a head-on collision. You can also spot road hazards while driving, helping you react better to the conditions outside.
  
• Turn those wipers on. Wipers are made for a reason. When it’s raining, you turn them on. This way, you’d see better what’s ahead of you. If you drive a wagon, turn on that rear wiper too. Now more than ever, it is important to see what’s happening around you better.
  
• Maintain a safe speed. Don’t drive too fast because you might lose control of your vehicle. Don’t drive too slowly because you can be a road hazard to other motorists around you. Just keep a steady, safe speed to help you control your vehicle better while it is pouring. This way, you will have a better reaction to the hazards ahead of you, with optimum control of your vehicle.
  
• Brake with caution. Hard-breaking can have your car spinning and crashing. Too much brake force can have the tires slip and the wheel locking. When this happens, your car may likely go out of control. Apply a firm but appropriate force on the brake pedal to achieve optimum breaking minus the ugly skidding and possible accident.

Seatbelts, Air Bags, and Other Restraint Systems: Your Savior in Deadly Car Crashes

Though your vehicle’s seat belts and air bags have saved a lot of lives over the years, there are still a few people that doubt what these safety equipments can really do to prevent deaths from vehicular accidents.

This is the main reason why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) made studies on how these restraint systems have saved the lives of people.

Seatbelt benefits

The NHTSA has been very active in promoting the use of seatbelts on vehicles for the past couple of years now. Such initiative seemed to be very much effective as more and more people are starting to wear seatbelts now. In fact, studies revealed that seatbelts have saved around 69,000 lives from 2006 to 2009. In 2010 alone, some 12,546 lives were saved because of seat belts.

Life-saving effects of other restraint systems

Frontal air bags, on the other hand, have saved 12,874 lives in the same 5-year period. Additionally, child restraints have saved some 1,711 infants and kids from dying in accidents. These figures prove that restraint systems work wonders in preventing passengers from suffering injuries due to crashes. That is why the agency has been continuously promoting the use of these restraint systems to help prevent the loss of lives.

Drinking laws save lives

Minimum drinking age laws all over the country have also helped saved the lives of young individuals from dying and getting involved in accidents. Some 3,611 lives have been spared because various states all over the country started adopting laws.

Because of the strict enforcement of these laws, there has been less likelihood of young drivers getting drunk and causing accidents endangering their lives and the others.

Driving Violations that Should Be Avoided to Prevent Car Accidents

Car accidents always leave victims devastated physically, mentally, and financially. As it is, victims may likely suffer injuries and incur damages, which could lessen their chance of full recovery if they are not compensated after the mishap.

To show the frequency of the road accidents in the country concerning cars, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released statistical showing that there were 32,885 fatalities in 2010. Actually, the car accidents in the country have reached an annual number of more than six million cases per year.

Of the approximately three million people who suffered injuries in car accidents, about 65 percent of them have been permanently disabled. Incidentally, one of the states with the highest number of fatalities is California. In the findings of the NTHSA, California has recorded about 2,715 fatalities that same year.

Traffic authorities should help in alleviating the situation by strictly implementing road traffic rules. For the part of the motorists, they should be aware of the common driving violations so that they may avoid them. Here are some of them:

• Driving above and beyond the speed limits;
• Excessive intake of alcohol and other illegal substances that affects a driver’s capacity to handle his car competently;
• Poor vehicle maintenance;
• Failure to abide by the traffic rules and regulations; and
• Driver distractions such as the use of cell phones and excessive conversations with other passengers.