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Drive to survive: How to avoid “road-rage” car accidents

Why does vacation time turn some folks into zombie-like drivers?

Vacation is supposed to be stress-free and happy, right?

If you live along a beach  or vacation traffic route like me, you know exactly what I mean.

You almost feel like these zombie drivers pack and hit the road with a killer-instinct for anyone who might be on their road.  Maybe they add some extra “juice” to their coffee?

For many years, our beach route highway was only one lane each direction with double yellow lines most of the way.  In the summer,  we cringed when we approach a curve or slight hill. You never knew if you will encounter someone zooming head-on in your lane  at 65 to 70 mph.  It made for a white-knuckled drive!

Thankfully they’re widening our highway bit by bit.  Who knows how many lives have been lost over the years especially during peak traffic season!  The locals blame the big city drivers from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. for the hair-raising drive to the beach.

The locals are right! These big city drivers have earned their reputation, too! Baltimore and D.C.  rank 8th and 10th as the top ten cities with the worst road-rage drivers according to http://www.monkeymeter.com

It’s no wonder handmade signs sometimes appear along our stretch of highway, “Go HOME! The beach is closed.”

While the St. Louis area is happily known for its courteous drivers,  distracted or careless driving can still easily spark a road-rage induced car accident.  You’ve all seen that speeding driver weaving in and out of traffic.

Or, a driver cuts you off,  and you narrowly avoid an accident!  You can’t help but notice they’re on their cell. Grrr!  See what I mean?  The blood pressure rises just thinking about it!

Those most likely to display road rage are between the ages of 18 and 39. That might include your vulnerable, newly-minted teen driver!

Need help starting that conversation? Tell your teen how not become a zombie driver.

Here are some common sense tips for surviving  zombie drivers:

  • Stay on “high-alert” for zombie drivers.  Don’t zone out.  You need to keep at least four of your senses in action. Hands on the steering wheel! Eyes on the road and mirrors! Ears tuned in for revving engines or other signs of trouble!   Your nose, well, if you drive an older car, this comes in handy for sniffing out trouble with your own vehicle.
  • Take a chill-pill. That’s right. If someone cuts you off, take a deep breath and let it go. Being tail-gated? Go ahead and get out of the left lane already!  Swerving car? Just try to stay out of their way.  I’ve seen my grandfather kindly pull off to the shoulder numerous times to let faster moving traffic go past him. That’s right, parents! It’s up to us to show our teens how to respond to road rage.
  • Decide if the driver needs police intervention.  Once we noticed a semi- truck repeatedly swerving into the lane beside him. Knowing that truck drivers often face crazy deadlines, we wondered if he was sleepy. After watching him carefully from a distance for a few miles, we decided to call the police. It was for his own safety as well the safety of others.
  • Never pull over to speak to an angry driver!  Don’t pull over unless you caused an auto accident! Even so, take precautions to protect yourself from an irate driver. Call 911 yourself.  Then call your car accident attorney as soon as possible.  http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury-motorvehicle.html

We’re human. Accidents happen even when we try to avoid being that zombie driver!

If you’ve been involved in a car crash,  you need the help of an experienced auto accident lawyer.  The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC knows that being involved in an auto accident is a very stressful time for you!

They care about your rights and helping you get the full accident compensation that you need.  Call today for a free initial consultation. (636)244-3737

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

 

 

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Drive to survive — even when your cell’s ringing!

Distracted driving has advanced with each new generation.

I once spoke to a small-town resident who spent most of his life in the same county.  “Harry” used to drive his farm wagon into town to deliver fresh produce.  Incredibly,  his horse knew the way home from his route. Harry could day-dream “behind the wheel”, so to speak.  He might have even munched on a stray carrot or strawberry left over from his route. No big deal when you’re limited to a horsepower of one, right?

Fast forward almost a century! (Yes, “Harry” was in nineties when I met him.) Our horsepower behind the wheel is at least 10x what it used to be!

When my brothers learned to drive, cell phones were  still a brand-new, space-age technology. That wasn’t the issue. Early work hours were. Hot oatmeal was still on the menu for breakfast.

Grab and go breakfast meant a tub of hot oatmeal.

Combine that with a newly-minted driver! Dad’s work truck ended up hitting and destroying a mailbox, post and all, due to one tub of hot oatmeal spilling in the driver’s lap.

Fortunately, the residents were understanding. No personal injury lawyers were needed. Just a handshake, a sincere apology, and some sweat to replace the post and mailbox repaired the damages.  No lives were injured or lost. We all counted our blessings!

How many of you eat and drive? Guilty hand raised here! I’m going estimate at least 95% of folks do.

Have you ever had an auto accident related to distracted driving? Did your burger and fries do more damage than just clogging your arteries? What about hot coffee? I’ve had a few close calls myself with that form of distracted driving.

Cell phones! Now there’s the major culprit in distracted driving. Some states ban hand-held cell usage altogether while driving.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety,  80% of drivers feel unsafe due to distracted drivers.  How many times have you been tempted to yell at a fellow driver, “Hang up the phone and drive!”?  More times than you can count, right?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving accounted for over 3, 000 deaths in 2015!

Worse yet, the distracted driving auto accident injuries are over the 300,000 mark!

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving

Teens are especially vulnerable to distracted driving. Again, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety  conducted a study on teen drivers.  They found teens drive distracted about 25 % of the time.  We all need help!

3 simple ways to avoid causing a distracted driving car crash:

1.) Don’t allow your teen to use their cell phone while driving.  Check their phones regularly. You may have to become the phone Nazi, but saving lives is worth it!

2.) Set the example! Turn your own phone off or on vibrate. Maybe you really need to take a call? Operate hands-free only! Pull over if at all possible. Show your teen how responsible drivers operate.

3.) Limit food intake on the road! Who am I kidding? We’re all going to eat and drive. Our lives are just too busy not to.  At least forget that messy, drippy taco or the super-sized burger whlle driving.

Sometimes I wish we could return to the days of “Harry” and join him on his leisurely produce wagon deliveries.  No massive traffic, no cell phones, no angry drivers cutting you off in traffic, and almost no distracted drivers, right?

Maybe someone in your house has had an auto accident due to a distracted driver.  You need an experienced car crash attorney to help you pursue your best legal options.

http://steimel-law.com/traffic-matters.html

The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC are here to help. Call (636)244-3737 for a free initial consulation today!

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship