Safety Tips For Staying Out Of Auto Accidents On The Interstate

Driving is one of the most dangerous acts that you can do. From a simple trip down to the supermarket to your daily commute, you take your life into your hands every day. We don't think about it often enough, but if you're not practicing good driving habits, then you're asking to get into an accident—not a good thing for you or for your health.

There are quite a few good habits you can develop so that you don't get into a car accident out there, especially on the interstate. For some of us, the interstate is an everyday occurrence. For others, it's a once in a while thing. But the dangers are always the same.

Drive Defensively To Prevent Auto Accidents

This should be a no brainer for any day of the week, but you need to be driving defensively if you're going to be on the interstate (or driving at all, really). Make sure that you're in the appropriate lane, make sure that you've given yourself enough room between your car and the one in front of you (and the one behind you), and always use your blinkers. Driving aggressively increases the risk of accidents immensely.

What About Other Drivers?

It's not just your driving that prevents accidents, but your awareness of the situation around you as well. Other drivers, road conditions, construction, the weather, and even the time of day can affect you and your car. You'll need to stay aware of these things.

For instance, when you're on the interstate, you're on what's known as a "limited access highway." Limited access highways are great because they allow you to travel at high speeds, usually with wide lanes and traffic flow being in one direction. However, that high speed means that your reaction time becomes shorter when dealing with changes. Be sure that you're still driving defensively!

Also, be sure to avoid other drivers in large packs. Aggressive drivers tend to stick together on the interstate and they can cause major issues for you and your health. Don't let their ways get to you. Either hang back or get ahead of them in the safest way possible, depending on your own speed of travel.

Road conditions are also a big point to consider. If the road is wet or torn up for some reason, that can affect your control of your vehicle. Watch for those wet spots and slow down (or avoid them entirely), and don't hit potholes or other debris on the road. That will help keep you safe while you're driving.

Construction zones are also huge hazards for you. Not only do they disrupt the flow of traffic (and sometimes change patterns entirely), they introduce their own set of debris and risk. Heavy equipment next to the road can turn your car into a pile of rubble, and construction workers that might not be watching traffic might be too close to the road where you're driving. If you want to remain safe, then the best option is to move to the other lane or slow way down.

In the same vein, if you don't drive the interstate often, be sure to check for traffic patterns. On Interstate 75, the construction at the 75-275 junction changed the traffic patterns when exiting at Wesley Chapel going northbound. That pattern change is exactly why it pays to watch for them: people who weren't are going to be missing their exits and doing irresponsible things to prevent it after it's already happened.

And, if you're the one that missed the exit, don't panic! Just get off at the next exit and have your GPS find you a new route (or turn around and go back to the other exit). It's not worth causing (or being in) an accident just to jump into the exit lane.

Auto Accidents Happen

Sometimes, though, accidents happen even if you're the most careful driver on the planet. If that occurs, then we'd like to let you know that we're here for you. Call us if you've been in an accident and we'll do our best to assist you with any claims you may need to file. We hope that you're not in an accident, but we also hope that if you are, you'll get our help. Call for a free consultation today!