A devastating car accident can be caused by egregious recklessness, or just the smallest moment of negligence. Motorists must always be mindful of their actions and behaviors to prevent accident and injury. If they are not, a little mistake could cause a serious traffic collision. Some mistakes the average driver makes regularly include:
- Speeding: Posted speed limits are calculated using road conditions and traffic patterns in the area. Going even a few miles faster than the limit endangers the driver and any other vehicles around them, as they could lose control of the vehicle, fail to brake around the next bend, and so on.
- Lane control: When a vehicle swerves out of control, it is a dramatic loss of lane control, but in most scenarios, drivers lose lane control in subtle ways that are no less dangerous. Straying only a few inches out of a lane can cause a vehicle to collide with another or environmental hazards.
- Tailgating: The three-second rule must be used whenever following another vehicle, or else sudden braking without collision may be impossible. If roadway conditions are not ideal, it is often suggested to follow four seconds back instead.
- Turning wheels before turning left: When waiting to turn left across opposing lanes, it is important to never turn the wheel until the turn actually begins. If a car is struck from behind and the wheel is already turned left, it will roll directly into oncoming traffic.
- Racing through yellow lights: When a traffic signal turns yellow, drivers are meant to slow down and stop, if possible. Most drivers will admit that they speed up to race through the intersection, if possible, effectively doing exactly the opposite of what should be done.
- Blind lane changes: SMOG (signal, mirror, over-the-shoulder, and glide) is the right procedure to take before making a lane change or merge. Each time one or more of the steps are skipped, the likelihood of a car accident increases dramatically.
- Using smartphone: Today’s cellphones can do just about anything, but they seem to excel in one thing: distracting drivers. A smartphone should never be used while driving; reading or writing a text, watching a video, using a navigation app, etc. should only be done while a vehicle is parked in a safe location.
Were you injured in a car accident caused by another driver? Is there evidence to suggest that they had done one of the aforementioned common mistakes? If so, full liability could be placed on their shoulders and you could retrieve maximized compensation. Contact Williams DeClark Tuschman Co., L.P.A. to speak with a team of Toledo auto accident and personal injury lawyers. We have 50+ years of total experience and have won millions of dollars for our clients through successful case results. Call 1-419-719-5195 to learn more about our services.