7 Tips for Preventing Injuries in an Unavoidable Accident

Here is a guest post from Colleen Harding.

7 Tips for Preventing Injuries in an Unavoidable Accident

A step-by-step guide to avoid serious injury or death during a collision

Injuries suffered in a car accident or motorcycle accident can be some of the most traumatic injuries anyone can face. During an accident much will depend on the driver—while the rest will depend on the vehicle they are driving. The other elements are completely unknown (referring to other vehicles on the road and the people driving them). Every vehicle is different. However, you can still do your part to avoid causing serious injuries or death during an motor vehicle accident by maintaining your vehicle regularly, driving with focus and control, having a saved list of emergency contacts—including emergency services, your insurance company, and a personal injury attorney – in case of a collision, and by adhering to the following safe driving guidelines:

1. Always wear a seat belt

This applies to everyone in your vehicle, including the driver and those in the backseat. Seat belts are one of the most important safety items you can wear to avoid serious injury or death during a car crash. Seat belts for passengers should sit low, across your hip bones in the back seat, while front seat passengers also have a shoulder belt that will brace them across the center of the chest should a collision occur. Small children should always be seated in the backseat and confined to child car seat when the car is in motion. Motorcycles do not have seat belts, but all drivers and passengers should wear a helmet.

2. Test your vehicles safety features

Do not drive a vehicle that is not in proper working order. Test all aspects of your vehicle—from your seat belts to your motorcycles airbags—to ensure that all safety features are in prime working order.

3. Drive a safe vehicle

If you want to avoid an accident, it makes sense to purchase the safest car for your needs and budget, right? Before purchasing a vehicle, check the make and model for safety under the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s list of crash test ratings

4. Stow loose objects in the trunk

A loose object becomes a potential danger in a crash if it should propel forward and hit a passenger. This is why it’s vital to store any loose objects in the trunk or securely under the seats.

5. Regularly check and maintain vehicle parts

This means everything from your car or motorcycle’s engine, brakes, transmissions, suspension and tires. Keeping your ride in top running condition will help you minimize harm to passengers as well as the colliding vehicle should you have an accident.

6. Focus on driving

Distraction laws are in place for a reason. They apply to drive while using cell phone, reading a map, eating, and applying makeup or shaving. And passengers should never ride with feet up on the dashboard or try to distract the driver. A focused driver can anticipate an unavoidable accident and take precautions avoid the following:

• Loose objects on the road that could end up causing an accident
• Other vehicles or pedestrians that move into your path
• Tailgating
• Avoid distracted drivers (e.g., tailgaters, swerving drivers, erratic speeders
• Parked cars opening doors
• Other accidents

7. Stay calm, attempt to reduce speed, and try to avoid serious injuries or death during a collision by:

• Avoiding a head-on collision into another vehicle, pedestrian or concrete barrier
• Trying to control your car's speed by slowing down—the faster your speed; the more damage the impact will cause. You can do this by braking, either pump the breaks to keep control or press the breaks firmly (if you have anti-lock brakes) and release to avoid skidding
• Avoiding side impact—where vehicles are the most structurally fragile
  Calling 911 immediately
• If you can, check on other passengers in your vehicle as well as the other vehicle. If there is an injury, apply first aid, but don’t try to remove the injured person from a vehicle due to the risk of causing further spinal or neck injuries

Colleen Harding is a freelance writer and guest blogger who specializes on writing about law. Her passion for the legal realm started with a job as a Legal Aid and continued when she accepted a role as a Human Resources Coordinator for a mid-sized U.S. manufacturing company. Colleen is always looking for more freelance writing work and can be contacted at colleenharding@gmail.com