In order to better understand why vehicular accidents occurred and how to prevent them, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studied traffic accidents over a two year period. In a report to Congress, NHTSA estimated that 262,791 cars involved in accidents had at least one adverse vehicle maintenance issue–from malfunctioning brakes to defective lighting. That makes poor vehicle maintenance roughly as dangerous as driving in the rain (with 204,681 accidents occurring on a rainy day).
You’ll hear news and traffic reporters remind you to be extra-safe while driving in the rain, but they don’t remind you to rotate your tires or check your tail light. Therefore, safe drivers must consider maintenance as an essential piece of safe driving, and remember steps that can minimize your likelihood of being involved in a vehicular accident.
Below are a few preventative measures:
- Take your vehicle in for regular oil changes, maintenance, and safety checks. Make sure that your local mechanic checks your brakes, tires, belts and hoses.
- Change your windshield wipers on a regular basis. Worn windshield wipers can impair visibility if they are unable to wipe away rain, sand, dirt or other debris that might obstruct visibility.
- Don’t drive with burnt out bulbs or broken lights.
- Rotate your tires on a regular interval, and make sure to replace worn out tires. Under-performing or failing tires may quickly lead to an accident, particularly in bad weather.
Not Your Fault
In spite of your best efforts, you may still find yourself in an accident with another vehicle. If you suspect that the other vehicle was not road worthy, consider the following:
- Immediately contact local law enforcement (i.e. 911) following an accident.
- Do not move your vehicle. It is important that the police document exactly what happened with the vehicles involved in the accident.
- Use your smartphone or tablet to document the accident if possible. Take photographs or video of the traffic scene to document events for law enforcement and your insurance.
- Capture issues with the other car’s windshield, windows, tires or other parts of the vehicle in your photographs. Also, be sure to alert the police officer of the same issues as well, so he may consider including them in his report.
If you or a loved one is involved in a vehicular accident and require legal assistance, we hope you will consider contacting the Kelly Law Team for assistance. We will do all we can to protect your rights and maximize your recovery. Call 602-283-4122 or visit our website for a free consultation.
