As 2012 approaches, many people are making resolutions to help improve their quality of life in the coming year. The Greene County, Missouri car accident attorneys suggest that you consider making some resolutions related to safe driving: in this way, we can all work together to make Missouri roadways safer. Some of them may seem like common sense - and they are. However, there would be far fewer injury accidents in our great state if more of us followed these basic guidelines:
1. Keep a safe distance between your car and the car in front of you.
Sometimes, when we're in a hurry and frustrated by traffic, it can be tempting to tailgate. Tailgating is the most common cause of rear-end accidents: remember, you should leave enough distance to stop safely if needed. (Note: if you hit someone from behind, you will usually be considered the at-fault driver, no matter why the car in front of you stopped.)
2. Use your turn signals.
Turn signals are the easiest way to make sure the vehicles around you know what you're doing. Try to signal at least 100 feet before turning - and make sure your turn signal is off when you've completed your turn. We've all driven behind someone who neglects to turn off their signal, and aside from being annoying, it's confusing to the other drivers on the road: there's no way of knowing if and when you're planning to turn.
3. Observe the speed limit.
Obviously, excessive speeding is dangerous, but driving significantly under the speed limit can be equally risky. If you're going 40 mph when the speed limit is 70, you're creating a hazard for other drivers, just like if you were going 90.
4. Don't react to road rage.
So many drivers who are normally reasonable, even-tempered people fall victim to road rage. Do yourself a favor: don't drive erratically or behave irresponsibly because you're angry about a choice another driver made. It's not worth it. All you're doing is creating the ideal conditions for an accident. Take a deep breath, and get yourself to your destination safely.