Car accidents are something that nobody wants to be involved in, in the United States alone up to 3,000 lives are claimed each year as a result of accidents on the road, and many more are injured from collisions. Thankfully, advancements in car safety mean that most accidents leave drivers and passengers unscathed but they can cause a lot of damage to the car and to your finances when you need to get the vehicle fixed. Despite the majority of accidents being minor, they are always something that you should seek to avoid. Reading about car accident stats may help you realize how likely it is for you to have an accident.

Accidents can always occur as the result of someone else’s mistake, this is unavoidable and can’t be planned for. What can be planned for however is the avoidance of an accident through your own fault, we spoke with some car accident lawyers to find out the cause of most collisions and here are some things that you should be doing to avoid them.

Make Sure the Car is Fully Functional

Before you even get on the road, it is important that you ensure that your car is working fully, check tire pressures, brakes and all of your lights regularly. Tire pressures decrease naturally as you drive and when they become deflated, your braking ability will worsen, this is not something that you should be finding out about when on the road, be prepared and check regularly. Equally, if you have indicators that don’t work then you can’t notify other drivers of your intentions which could potentially cause an accident.

Eyes on the Road

It may sound simple but maintaining your focus on what is going on around you is vital in avoiding collisions. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by gadgets in the car, the car stereo, your mobile phone or anything else that takes your attention away from the road in front and behind. Remember your blind spot and check it each time that you check your rear view mirror.

Be Careful With Trust

You may be a great driver, but that doesn’t mean that everyone else is, the best practice is almost to assume that everyone else can’t drive, this will help you to stay fully alert to any strange moves that other drivers make. The same goes for traffic lights, don’t assume that because you have a green light at a junction, that nothing will be coming, always check before proceeding.

Adapt to the Weather Conditions

High winds, rain, snow and ice can significantly change the level of safety on the road and it is important that you change your driving style to stay safe. When the roads become slippy you should drive slower, brake earlier and indicate earlier. Car accidents increase significantly in bad weather conditions because not enough people change the way they drive to fit the conditions. If you are a nervous driver in bad weather then don’t take the risk, seek out other methods of transport if you need to go somewhere or try and hitch a ride from other family and friends.