With road safety, the U.S. is doing well enough nationwide but fails miserably when looking at individual states and metropolitan areas. According to the 2017 Road Safety Performance Index, This shows how effectively 31 major urban regions in the country prevent crashes and keep their residents safe on the roads.
The overall goal of road safety is to bring down the number of fatalities and injuries by making drivers and passengers behave more responsibly and by making vehicles safer. We can achieve this by keeping a sharp lookout on the roads, adhering to the speed limit, never driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, putting your mobile phone away while driving, and wearing a seat belt. Here are six things you need to know about road safety in the United States:
Having a lawyer is essential for road safety.
Having a lawyer can help you compensate for someone else’s culpability if you are involved in a car accident. The rules of the road change based on your location, but the legalities are similar. For example, in some parts of the United States, you cannot turn right at a red light, but it is legal to do so under certain conditions in other parts of the country.
To keep yourself safe, always be aware of the laws in your state. You can’t assume you will be able to get compensation for car accidents every time. Even if another person is at fault for a car accident, you may not always be able to receive compensation for your injuries or losses. Professional injury lawyers at https://www.kendalllawfirm.net/harrisonburg-personal-injury-lawyer/car-accident-lawyer/ know there are several causes of auto accidents, but they acknowledge that every case has different circumstances. Working with experienced lawyers will help you receive your compensation after an accident.
Wear your seat belts every time you’re driving.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), between 2009 and 2017, 54% of U.S. passenger vehicle occupants did not wear a seat belt while driving or riding in a car. Seat belts significantly reduce the risk of death or severe injury in an accident. In 2017 alone, seat belt use saved over 14,000 lives. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 60% of Americans wear their seat belts while driving or riding in a car.
Don’t drive impaired after you’ve drunk or taken drugs.
It’s illegal, you can kill yourself or someone else with your short-sightedness, and it just isn’t worth the consequences.
When the roads are wet, your tires have less grip and cause water to spray off into the air or onto other cars. Besides that, you’ll have a more challenging time seeing where the road ends, and things like lane lines, curbs, etc., start because of how much water is being sprayed around your car and onto your windshield.
Suppose you’re taking a trip to somewhere far away. Consider whether the weather will be reasonable to drive in when you get there. You probably don’t want to be stuck in a blizzard on the side of the road with no cell reception and not enough warm clothes for such high amounts of snow.
Take a break
This is by far the most important thing to keep in mind when you are driving long journeys. At any time during your drive, if you feel tired, stop off at a service station or hotel for at least 15 minutes.
Make sure that no one else is driving when you are sleepy. Always ask someone to be your designated driver or take a taxi if you are feeling drowsy. You will be hugely irresponsible if you keep driving when you are sleepy for the safety of yourself, others on the road, and pedestrians.
The police may prosecute you for driving without due care and attention or dangerous driving, even if there is no accident involved.
Don’t drive in a bad mood.
When driving, it is essential to understand that you are dealing with two types of road users; vulnerable road users and yourself.
When driving, your actions can inflict harm on other road users – they may be drivers, pedestrians, or cyclists. To prevent this, it is essential to put your emotions aside when you are behind the wheel. – don’t let yourself be influenced by stress or anger because that will affect how you drive.
You should only get behind the wheel if you feel good enough to deal with all road users on the road somewhat and safely, without putting yourself or other road users at risk.
Be patient when driving.
Patience is essential when you are driving. For example, if you’re stuck in traffic, don’t go through it to get to your destination faster. It would help if you waited for the cars in front to move out of the way. If you don’t, you’ll waste gas and could cause an accident with another vehicle. So next time you’re driving in heavy traffic, try to be patient and wait for it to clear up.
Road safety is a big issue, both in the U.S. and across the world. More than 1.2 million people die in car accidents around the globe every year. This number has been going down for years, but car accidents are still responsible for nearly one of every ten deaths worldwide each year.
Imagine if everyone knew what they needed to do to avoid car accidents. Even just a slight reduction in these numbers would have a massive impact on the world worldwide.
