Making a few changes to improve your safety behind the wheel may be one of the best decisions you make. A good New Year's resolution involves staying more focused while driving. Any time you take your eyes of the road or hands off the wheel, a possible distracted driving accident is waiting to happen. The U.S Department of Transportation states that in 2012, about 420,000 personal injuries and 3,000 fatalities were caused by driver distractions.
The most common culprit to blame is the cell phone. Everywhere you drive, people texting on their phones surround you. This doesn’t just affect their safety, but your safety is in jeopardy as well. An auto accident and personal injury is just waiting to happen. Cell phones aren’t the only offender, however. Applying makeup behind the wheel, searching for something on the floor, or messing with your radio or GPS can also lead to a serious accident and personal injury.
Buckle Up.
According to the CDC, seat belts reduce serious personal injury and deaths among drivers and passengers by about 50 percent. Unfortunately, many people still neglect to wear one. Common offenders are adults between 18 and 34, and mostly male. If you make only one New Year's resolution, this would be the most important. Tell your family you will be enforcing a seat belt rule this year. Whether it’s a trip down a couple of blocks, or a long road trip, stick with it. After a short while, it will become second nature. If you are in an accident, your risk for a serious personal injury is greatly reduced.
Don’t Speed.
Another important resolution is to heed your speed! Speeding is a factor in about a third of all fatal auto accidents. When a high speed auto accident occurs, the forces are so severe, it’s nearly impossible to not have a serious personal injury.
If you find yourself in an accident, please call a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer at The Heslin Law Firm. You can reach our office to schedule a free consultation at 215-332-0300.