Thursday, December 29, 2011

Forty-car accident a reminder we can all be safer

As you probably know, this morning there was a horrific car accident on Interstate-10 in eastern New Orleans. More than 40 vehicles were involved in this accident, which resulted in two deaths.

This is a tragedy, and I think it's important in times like these to always try to take positive action. I don't know the cause of the accident today, but I do know that there are some ways we can all be safer on the road. While there is no way to control the behavior of others - no way to provide 100% protection from anything bad ever happening to us - there are things we can personally do to make ourselves safer on the road.

One huge change we can all make is to not use our cell phones while we drive. Distracted driving has been proven to be as dangerous as drunk driving. In a well-known study, 93% of Americans surveyed said they believe they are "above-average drivers." We all trust our ability to multi-task when driving because most of us think we're exceptional drivers... but we're wrong. Text messaging while driving is one of the most widespread dangers on the road; it's time to put an end to it, and this can only happen when everybody puts away their phones on the road. If you can't afford to put away your phone while you drive, then there are other options, including apps (such as the DriveSafely app for iPhone, or the SMS Sentinel for Android) that disable your phone's text messaging while you drive or read your text messages out loud to you.

It's also important to keep several things in your car at all times:
A first aid kit
A collection of basic tools [click HERE for a useful guide on do-it-yourself car repairs]
A flashlight
Jumper cables [click HERE for a guide to jump-starting your car]
A tow rope
Flares
Warm clothing and blankets
Water
Non-perishable food
Portable air compressor


How to pack an emergency kit for your car



Keeping these items in your car will help you out in some of the worst possible situations. They obviously won't help prevent car accidents, but they can protect people after car accidents.

Vehicles are being manufactured to be safer and safer, but car accidents continue to occur in huge numbers. Some say this is because as our cars become safer, we subconsciously choose to drive more recklessly. That needn't be the case; observe the speed  limits, keep your distance from other vehicles, adjust to weather conditions, avoid driving intoxicated, and please don't drive distracted. And of course, should you get into an accident and need any help, you can always contact the Law Office of John Redmann.

by John W. Redmann
Attorney for the Injured and Others who once trusted Insurers©
and Matt Stokes
Co-Author and Online Editor at Redmann Law


3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the great info. I would have never thought to keep emergency food, blankets, etc in my vehicle. But I will now.

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  2. I think one day we'll look back on texting while driving like we look back on people not wearing their seat belts 20 years ago... We'll just wonder WHY in awe.

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  3. I agree and would like to add that eating while driving is also distracting. I find myself steering with my knees to eat a burger.
    How foolish is that.

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