Millions of motor vehicle collisions occur every year and since accidents happen frequently, you are likely or at risk of getting involved in an accident whenever you are on the road. It is worth noting that car accidents vary in terms of severity and the low-speed impacts often lead to extensive injuries. Consequently, you must take the steps and learn how you can best protect yourself in order to avoid car crash injuries. Here are some useful tips to help you prepare in advance.
Sit Properly
Make sure you sit upright and keep your feet flat on your car floor whether you’re driving or riding as a passenger. While modern cars are designed with sophisticated safety features including seat belts and airbags, they only offer a high level of protection if you sit properly.
Hunching over in your car seat or laying back while your feet are on the dash essentially means the aforementioned safety components will not work effectively. Therefore, if you’re not sitting up in the right manner, then you are more likely to get extensive injuries as opposed to when you sit up straight.
Fasten Your Seatbelt
Before you hit the road, you need to check and make sure your seatbelt is fastened properly. The belt should not be too tight and neither should it be too slack. The seatbelt should not be twisted either. In the event that an accident occurs, a twisted belt actually does more harm.
Adjust Your Car Seat
Do not forget to reposition your car seat as well. Adjust the seat so that it stays a good distance from the airbags. If your car seat is closer to these safety components, then you are more likely to be seriously injured if an accident occurs.
Even as you adjust the seat to be far from the airbags, make sure you can easily reach the steering wheel as well as the pedals. After adjusting the seat, rock it back and forth just to make sure it is securely locked in place. All passengers in your vehicle should also reposition their headrests before you can drive off. The headrests should be adjusted properly to reduce whiplash injuries that could possibly occur due to the impact of the crash.
Check Your Car Before You Drive Off
Before you drive off, it is imperative that you check various components of your car including the engine, brakes, tires, tire pressure, seat belts, engine oil, and more. According to Bisnar Chase, seat belt malfunctions, roof crush, brake failure, and numerous other defects may lead to unsafe driving such that in the event that an accident occurs, it could end up being fatal.
While such accidents lead to injury or death, a highly skilled accident lawyer can protect your interests. Therefore, if you’re involved in a motor vehicle accident, it is important that you seek out legal help from qualified attorneys because, with legal experts, you stand a better chance of winning and getting the best possible form of compensation. Note that personal injury attorneys who’ve got your personal interests at heart will put up a tireless fight to assist in recovering compensation for your lost wages, medical expenses, emotional pain, and the suffering.
While these tips will help you to stay safe on the roads, always pay attention while driving. Not all motor vehicle accidents are avoidable, but observing the safety tips we share above reduce instances of injuries or fatalities.
