How to Avoid an Auto Accident
Contact the skilled Tampa Auto Accident Attorneys TODAY!
It’s an old adage, but true: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Having a skilled attorney who can get you money in an accident settlement is good… but never needing that attorney in the first place is ideal.
Here are a few tips to keep you safe on the roads.
Be Aware: You might be a safe driver, but even you can’t control everything that happens outside your car. That old clunker in the lane next to you might suddenly suffer a malfunction and swerve into your lane. That child playing on the lawn up the street might lose control of his ball and chase it right into your path. That tiny old woman backing her huge car out of her parking space might not realize that you’re driving behind her. Anticipating possible dangers is the first step to avoiding them.
Yield: It does no good to spot a potential accident if you aren’t willing to change your driving pattern. Give way to bad drivers. As legally entitled as you are to be in that space, it generally costs less time and aggravation to save someone from their own stupidity than to suffer the consequences and try to get them to reimburse you.
Don’t Speed: Five miles per hour over the speed limit may feel safe, but it will still cut back on your response time. (It could also limit your recovery if the court determines that you were partially responsible for your damages because you were speeding.)
Limit Distractions: That incoming text message, email, or video-chat request isn’t as important as your life. Nor do you need to tell anyone where you are or where you’re going while you’re driving. While you’re driving, your only job is driving.
Be Calm: Driving angry is never a good idea. Nor is driving while you’re feeling any strong emotion that vies for your attention. If you aren’t able to concentrate on the road, don’t drive. While you’re concentrating on your problems, you could miss potential dangers.
Pull Over: If that text is important, pull over safely and answer it. If your children are hurting each other, don’t just threaten: pull over. If you’re feeling angry enough to do some damage, pull over and throw some rocks at other rocks. If you’re too distracted to drive… don’t.
Most accidents are preventable if you are attentive and ready to adjust your driving to whatever might happen. If another driver’s bad driving happens too fast for you to avoid the accident, however, a great attorney can help minimize the negative consequences.
If you are in need of a legal malpractice, personal injury, medical malpractice, accident, or whistleblower lawyer in Tampa, Florida, the Tampa Bay attorneys of Wagner, McLaughlin & Whittemore would be pleased to speak with you. We fight aggressively to protect the rights of our clients. Click here or call us today at (813) 225-4000 to schedule a free consultation.
