Traffic Safety Tips for Avoiding a Maryland Automobile Accident

We’ve all heard that simple phrase, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” but how many people actually take this basic piece of advice to heart? One thing is certain, if more people did, the world might be a happier and healthier place at times. As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, the legal experts at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, see a constant stream of victims filing into and out of Maryland courtrooms as they pursue recovery of monetary and other damages following bad roadway collisions.

While nobody can say that injuries are not a natural consequence of living, few of us could accept that the severe and debilitating injuries resulting from automobile and commercial trucking collisions are something that we must simply accept as a consequence of living in this modern age. If anything, society should be looking toward a better day when traffic accidents are mostly a thing of the past and people no longer must suffer serious injury simply because of another person’s loss of concentration or thoughtless actions.

As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, Lebowitz & Mzhen know that the aforementioned ounce of prevention can sometimes equate to additional safety training and better driver education. Improving one’s ability to observe traffic interactions and then safely maneuver a motor vehicle out of harm’s way such as identifying potentially dangerous roadway situations before they become a threat to oneself or one’s passengers is one way to reduce the number of serious or fatal wrecks on our highways and surface streets.

Traffic accidents affect almost everybody at one time or another in their life. Whether it is a young driver just learning the ropes or an elderly driver with decades of experience under his belt, there are always opportunities for serious or life-threatening collisions on Maryland’s beltways, rural routes and city streets. Avoiding injuries to drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists is the goal of most traffic-related legislation, but it is driver training than might make the most difference in cutting the number of deaths and injuries in the future.

As Maryland trial lawyers trained in the area of personal injury law, we know the value of information and the power that it can provide to those who understand how to use it. Learning new and helpful tips for safer driving is certainly on that list of important information, at least as it applies to reducing the chance of injury to oneself or one’s family. Below are some helpful tips that every driver should try to remember and practice.

With more than six million traffic collisions occurring every year in the U.S., about four people are hurt in car, truck or motorcycle wrecks every minute; and almost five people are killed every hour of every day all across the nation as a result of motor vehicle wrecks. Taking into account that more than a quarter of all motorists are involved in some kind of traffic accident within a five-year period, we all have a stake in learning a few new safe driving techniques from time to time.

• Begin by easing off the accelerator pedal a bit. About 30 percent of all fatal accidents involve at least one of the drivers traveling in excess of the posted limit
• Pay closer attention to what is happening on the road. Distracted driving is now part of the public lexicon since it has been identified as a significant and growing danger for our nation’s drivers. And remember that the greatest cause of distracted driving comes from the use of cellphones and smartphones
• So put away that cellphone or electronic device and concentrate more on driving. Here in Maryland it is illegal to text (or even talk without a hands-free device). Maryland’s “primary” texting law means that a police officer can stop a motorist and issue a citation if he or she observes a driver using a cellphone or smartphone contrary to the traffic laws of this state
• Put your safety belt on and always wear it. Safety experts all over the country point to statistics that show conclusively that seatbelts do indeed save lives. Studies have shown that about half of all highway fatalities could have been prevented had the victim(s) been wearing a seatbelt
• Maintain a safe and reasonable distance between yourself and other vehicles. The rule most widely used in the past was to leave about two car lengths between your vehicle and the car ahead of you. The latest approach to improving following distance is to allow about two seconds’ worth of vehicle travel between you and the vehicle in front of your car. Just count how many seconds goes between the car ahead passing something on the roadside and when you pass it, then adjust your following distance to allow at least two seconds. In rain, snow or icy conditions leave even more space due to those adverse driving conditions
• Learn how to keep your car in control even while skidding. A driver usually begins to lose control when a vehicle begins to fishtail (over-steering situation) or starts to plow (under-steer). Learning to counter-steer and how to control the throttle in a safe setting will go a long way toward improving one’s chances of avoiding a crash in the future. Being ready for a bad situation will also help keep a driver from overreacting to a dangerous traffic situation, which could result in a serious collision or a deadly rollover accident
• Understand how to drive in snowy and icy conditions. Pay attention to weather reports when adverse conditions threaten. Maintain a sufficient safe distance between your vehicle and the one ahead; keep in mind that braking distances are much greater when the pavement is wet or slippery
• Check your tire pressures. As temps drop, so does the pressure in your car’s tires. Underinflated tires can result in reduced vehicle handling and can promote a loss of air completely causing the driver to possibly lose control of the vehicle. Very hot weather can also cause tire pressures to rise, which can decrease the contact area between the tire and the roadway; this can reduce the available traction and also affect a vehicle’s handling or the driver’s control
• Drive within your comfort zone, especially during inclement weather. There are some drivers who never adjust their driving habits no matter what the weather or road conditions. This can be a deadly mistake. Some larger SUVs and other vehicles with large tires and four-wheel drive give their drivers’ a false sense of invincibility, but it is important to remember that every motor vehicle has its limits and feeling virtually immune to the weather’s wrath is always an invitation to disaster

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, Lebowitz & Mzhen is dedicated to helping the victims of automobile and commercial trucking accidents. For those who have been hurt or killed as a result of a negligent driver, we recommend that the victim or his family contact a qualified personal injury attorney to understand their rights under the law. When preparing a legal case against a negligent party, our attorneys apply all of our skills and training to obtain the best possible outcome. While not every traffic-related injury or wrongful death case will go to trial, having a well-prepared case may sometimes result in an out-of-court settlement, which may spare the victim and his family a lengthy and sometimes drawn-out courtroom experience.

If you know someone who has been injured in a passenger car accident, commercial trucking collision or motorcycle wreck, we recommend contacting a skilled personal injury attorney with years of trial experience. Our auto accident lawyers are ready to discuss your personal injury case so that you can be better informed before deciding to file a personal injury claim against another individual or corporate entity. You can call us at (800) 654-1949, or email either Jack Lebowitz or Vadim Mzhen to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.