You can resolve to never break the speed limit, come to a full stop at every stop sign, and keep both hands at 10 and two and you could still be involved in a car accident in Chicago. In a lot of accidents, one driver did nothing wrong. So, while planning to avoid an accident is wise, planning to survive one is also crucial. These tips can help:
1. Don’t leave items sitting out inside the car. In a wreck, everything flies around the car, and you could be seriously injured by projectiles in your own vehicle.
2. Check safety ratings when buying a car. While not everyone can afford the safest cars on the market, buy the safest one you can. If you’re going to splurge somewhere, it should be on a safe car, not a flashy one.
3. Understand that you may have no choice but to crash. Try to do so as safely as possible. For instance, a common mistake people make is swerving to avoid a rear-end accident, but swerving right into a far more dangerous head-on crash in the opposing lanes.
4. Know your car. Does it have anti-lock brakes? If so, there’s no need to pump your brakes.
5. Don’t panic. This happens quickly, but you want to be as a calm and controlled as you can. Sudden, jerky movement can send you out of control, whereas calm, smooth movements can help reduce damage.
Of course, if you weren’t at fault in the accident, you may feel it’s very unfair that you’re suddenly stuck with high medical bills and other damages. It’s important at that time to know how to take legal action to get fair compensation.
Source: Defensive Driving, “16 Things You Can do to Survive a Car Accident,” accessed Dec. 20, 2016