Rear-end car accidents are one of the most common types of car accidents in California. If you are at the back of a rear-end accident, it will almost always be your fault. Keep reading for five tips on how to reduce your chances of being involved in this type of accident. If you are involved in this or another type of car, truck, or bike accident, contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
- Keep Your Cell Phone Out of Reach You know you should stay off your cell phone when driving but the best way to succeed in doing so is to keep your cell phone out of your reach. Even if you take off with the best of intentions not to use your phone while driving, hearing a text notification or seeing your phone light up is enough to distract you. Keep it in your purse or in the backseat of your vehicle, with all notification sounds off.
- Do Not Drive Too Closely to the Vehicle in Front of You Do not tailgate. Leave at least a few car lengths of space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of yours. Ideally, you will stay one car length from the vehicle in front of you for every ten miles per hour you are driving. For example, if you are driving 60 miles per hour then you would leave six car lengths between you and the vehicle in front of you. This greatly reduces the chances that you will hit the vehicle in front of you if they stop suddenly.
- Stay at a Safe Speed Do not fall into the trap of believing that the speed limit is the only thing to take into consideration when deciding on your speed. That is a maximum speed in perfect conditions. If there is bad weather, wet pavement, or heavier traffic, then the safe speed limit might be lower than the posted speed limit.
- Stay Out of the Danger Zone When you stop behind a vehicle at a red light or stop sign, make sure that you leave plenty of room. If you do not, and someone hits you from behind, then you run a much higher risk of hitting the car in front of you. The danger zone refers to an area close enough to the vehicle in front of you that you are likely to hit them if your vehicle is hit.
- Slow Down Gradually and Deliberately Of course, if you want to avoid rear-end accidents, you should also be paying attention to what vehicles behind you are doing. Slow gradually any time you come to a stop so that the driver behind you has plenty of time to stop safely as well. If you slam on your breaks, you increase the chance of being hit significantly.
