Ten Tips for Denver Drivers to Prevent Rear-End Crashes

Preventing rear-end crashes is the responsibility of every motorist in Denver, Greenwood Village and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. A rear-end accident lawyer knows careless driving behavior can lead to one driver rear-ending the car in front of him. Wheels.ca has some tips to help prevent rear-end accidents from happening.  a-driver-868517-m

Ten Tips to Prevent Rear-End Accidents

Ten tips to prevent rear-end collisions from occurring include:

  1. Looking further ahead up the road in order to see what is ahead of you. This gives you more time to brake gently, minimizing panic braking.
  2. Pay more attention to your mirrors. It is a good idea to check the mirrors every five to eight seconds, as well as before slowing down or stopping. Keeping a close eye on your mirrors helps you to make sure the driver behind you is paying attention and will stop when you do.
  3. Stay focused on the road at all times. Drivers who aren’t paying attention are the leading cause of rear end crashes, according to the Department of Transportation. Together with drivers who follow too closely behind the car in front of them, these motorists cause 93 percent of rear-end driving accidents.
  4. Identify an escape route whenever you stop. Look around to see if you can move onto the shoulder or an open lane in case you need to get out of the way of a vehicle that is charging at you.
  5. Don’t rush when approaching a stop sign or a red light. Coming to a gradual stop gives the driver more time to respond to your actions.
  6. Leave two or three vehicle lengths between the car in front of you when you come to a stop. This gives you an option to move forward if a car behind you is approaching too fast.
  7. When you are stop, visualize what you should do if the car behind you doesn’t stop in time. Remember that you need to steer where you want to do and not step on the brake. Many motorists make the mistake of hitting the brakes harder when they are struck from behind, which is the wrong response.
  8. Check your brake lights often. If you don’t have brake lights functioning, drivers behind you won’t know that you are coming to a stop and are more likely to hit you.
  9. Don’t follow the car in front of you too closely. If you are too close to the lead car, you might hit it or you may have to slam on your brakes and cause the driver behind you to hit you.
  10. Respond strategically to drivers who are tailgating you. If you can, pull aside and let them pass.

Beloit University reports rear-end accidents are the second-most common kind of motor vehicle accident in the United States. An estimated 28 percent of all collisions occur when a driver is rear-ended by another vehicle. By following these tips, hopefully you can avoid becoming one of the victims of these crashes.

Contact Bell & Pollock at (877) 744-5900 to schedule a consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Denver, Greenwood Village and Steamboat Springs Colorado

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