Chances are, you will find yourself in a car accident at some point in your lifetime. There are around 105 car accidents reported in San Antonio, TX every day alone, with many thousands more reported around the country.
If you’re lucky, you will emerge unscathed. If you’re not so lucky, you could be stuck dealing with injuries that will last a lifetime. Or worse, you don’t survive the crash at all.
Fortunately, there are things you can do not only to increase your chances of surviving a car accident but also to decrease your chances of getting severely injured.
Stow Loose Items
Many people are injured in car accidents, not because of the accident itself, but because of something that hit them in the car. Whether it’s a water bottle, purse, or cell phone, loose items can become projectiles in a car accident. Make sure you properly stow any loose items so they don’t go flying when you slam on the brakes.
That means stowing your dog, too! Not only are pets a huge distraction when they are loose in your car, they can go flying if you’re in an accident. They can hit and injure you, but they are also almost certain to become injured if they are loose in the car when you’re in an accident. Keep your dog in a crate or put him in a seatbelt like you would any other passenger.
Keep a Safety Tool in the Glove Compartment
A car safety tool can really come in handy if you find yourself in trouble. They are made to break glass, should you be unable to open the door, which is common if your car becomes submerged in water. A safety tool also includes a seatbelt cutter, which can free you if, for some reason, you can’t get your seatbelt undone.
The trick is to keep it in the glove compartment or middle console compartment. That way, if you’re ever in trouble, it’s always within reach.
Keep a First Aid Kit in the Car
Your safety tool belongs in the main cabin of the car, where it can easily be reached, but there are other items you should keep in your car, too, that can be stowed in the backseat or the trunk.
A first aid kit can really come in handy if you get into an accident. It gives you the ability to treat and dress wounds in minor accidents, and it can help you take care of yourself and other passengers while you wait for an ambulance to arrive.
Items to keep in your vehicle’s first aid kit include:
- Adhesive bandages in different shapes and sizes
- Antibiotic ointment
- Antiseptic wash or wipes
- Disposable gloves
- Elastic bandages
- Instant cold and hot packs
- Sterile gauze and medical tape
- Scissors
- Tweezers
Drive the Safest Vehicle You Can
Many accidents are the result of driver error, but that doesn’t mean they can be helped. We’re all human, which means we’re all prone to making mistakes.
You can help prevent some of these mistakes by driving the safest vehicle you can. Many new cars on the market include safety features like blind-spot monitors, forward collision warning, lane-keeping assist, and brake assist. These systems can warn you if a vehicle in front of you slams on its brakes, and some can even engage the brakes for you to prevent an accident.
Cars are getting safer every year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to buy a new vehicle every year. Just purchase the safest vehicle that you can afford.
Know How to Drive in Bad Weather
Bad weather is a little bit different depending on where you live. Warm-weather climates may have to deal with rain, while cold-weather climates have to deal with ice and snow.
It’s important to know how to drive in different types of bad weather. For example, if your vehicle slides on ice, you should turn into the skid. Slick roads can cause hydroplaning in the rain, and fog can make it nearly impossible to see.
Safe driving in bad weather also means knowing when to pull over. It’s much better to pull over and wait for a storm to pass than it is to end up in an accident.
Be Willing to Hit an Object When it Will Do the Least Amount of Damage.
It’s human nature to want to swerve out of the way if you’re confronted with an object in the road. However, you could end up doing more harm than good.
Never swerve to avoid hitting a deer or another animal. You may save the animal, but you may also end up hitting another object, like a building or an oncoming vehicle, which will do more damage than hitting the animal would have.
The same is true of other items on the road. It’s better to run over road debris than it is to swerve out of your lane at the last minute and end up hitting another car instead.
Wear Your Seatbelt
Everyone knows the importance of wearing a seatbelt, and yet people still drive and ride without wearing a seatbelt. About half of the people who died in motor vehicle accidents in 2021 were not wearing a seatbelt. Many of those lives could have been saved if they were wearing one.
Having a newer car helps, as it dings incessantly if front-seat passengers don’t put their seatbelts on. But you should wear your seatbelt in the backseat, too. It can be just as dangerous to ride in the backseat without a seatbelt as it is to ride in the front seat without one.
Driving a car is the most dangerous thing most of us do on a daily basis. It’s important to treat it as the dangerous activity it is. By following the precautions on this list, you can drastically reduce your chances of getting injured and increase your chances of surviving a serious car accident.
