Nearly 40,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2015. Many of these deaths, if not all of them, were avoidable. Driving in New York is dangerous, thanks to busy streets and distractions. With care, however, you can keep yourself and your loved ones out of harm’s way. Remember these few important things when getting behind the wheel.
Multitasking Is Dangerous
Distractions are among the biggest causes of auto accidents, and are especially common in crashes where someone is injured or dies. This can include a wide range of distractions including mobile phones, adjusting settings within the vehicle, and even daydreaming. Many people believe hands-free phones and devices are safer, but in reality they are still distractions.
When someone is multitasking, he or she is not actually focusing on doing two things at once. In fact, the brain is switching between two tasks and focusing on each one, going rapidly back and forth. This means that a driver talking on a phone, even a hands-free one, is still losing focus on driving. That slows down reaction times and can greatly increase the likelihood of a collision.
New Drivers Need Education
New drivers, especially teenagers, need extra education and practice when learning to drive. This should continue even after a teen has received his or her license. Additional time practicing driving with an experienced motorist can impart safe habits and reduce risks. There are professional driving schools available that can provide further skills and experience with different road conditions for even safer driving.
Emphasize Defensive Driving
Defensive driving is seen as the best way to operate a vehicle. This means you are constantly on alert for accidents or unexpected events around you and have a sense of how to react should something occur.
While defensive driving is useful for all drivers, it is especially important for employers with workers who drive as part of a job. Crashes involving employees can result in missed time, expenses for damage to company property and someone else’s vehicle, and medical bills. Properly training employees who operate a car on the job is not only good business, it can save lives.
After a car accident, you might not know what to do next. Call us at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, today at (212) 986-7353 to speak with an experienced New York car accident lawyer and learn about your options.