Car Accidents Prevention

    Avoiding car accidents is a matter of avoiding high risk behavior. Statistics show the following behavior to be the most high risk:

1. Driving at late night between 11 pm and 4 am (particularly on Friday/Saturday night). These are the most dangerous hours of the week to drive and should be avoided. This is when the highest number of drunk drivers are on the road.

2. Turning left at intersections. A very high number of fatalities come from trying to cross over traffic heading in the other direct. Great caution should be used when turning left. Senior citizens have very high fatality rates from turning left at intersections.

3. Rain/snow is also related to a much higher rate of fatalities. These factors reduce a car's traction.

4. If you are feeling sleepy or intoxicated this will reduce your response time and greatly increase the chance of an accident. Although the publicity for driving while drowsy is limited, it can be just as dangerous as drinking and driving. Drivers should be aware if they have been driving for 20 hours or more.

5. Teenagers or individuals who just get their drivers license are at a very high risk of getting into car accidents. Read more safety tips for teenagers.

6. Avoid distractions while driving, including smoking, eating, playing with the stereo, etc.

    When you need to make a turn, always slow down and flash your turn signal well in advance. If you must change lanes before your turn, use your signal and check your mirrors to see if there are cars behind you and how far away they are.

     Before turning, check all around you for traffic. Allow plenty of time and space to make the turn, and keep looking for pedestrians, motorcycles, other turning cars, and cars coming in the opposite direction. Keep your wheels straight until you actually begin to turn so that if someone hits you from behind you won't be pushed into oncoming traffic. After you make the turn, check to see that your turn signal went off.

Merging

     Merging is the hardest part about freeway driving, especially when traffic is heavy. Observe the posted speed on the ramp. As you approach the merge lane, start to match your speed to that of the traffic already on the expressway. At the same time check for a gap in traffic and accelerate to merge into it. If the traffic is very heavy, do not come to a stop. Slow down partway down the ramp and then accelerate as you merge into the lane.

     Merge signs can come in different forms. In this example, the signs warn you that the merge lane you are in will narrow from two lanes to one (the left lane will merge into the right lane). This occurs well before you reach the actual merge with the interstate. When you merge with traffic on the interstate, you will be merging left.

     Another common mistake drivers make is not paying enough attention to any cars in front of them during the merge. In this example, no vehicles are in front of you. However, be extra careful when you are not first in line (second picture from top of page). You never know what the cars in front of you might do. Give yourself plenty of room so that if the car in front of you suddenly stops, you have time to react accordingly