Tips To Avoid A Car Accident from Bradenton’s Premiere Body Shop

1. Scan 12 Seconds Ahead

The Department of Motor Vehicles advises that drivers should scan the road at least 12 seconds ahead to avoid potential trouble spots and to identify possible road hazards. By looking ahead this far, drivers can see the entire picture in order to react to things early instead of making a last-minute lane change or sudden stop to avoid a problem in the road.

 2. Always Maintain Control of Your Vehicle 

Maintaining control of your vehicle starts with putting yourself in the best possible position so that you can easily reach the steering wheel and floor petals during an evasive maneuver.

3.  Keeping Your Car in Good Condition

No matter how well you drive, you are not safe unless your vehicle is in good working condition. Vehicles can fail and cause an accident in a number of ways, such as a blown tire, worn brakes, broken windshield wiper, etc. To avoid these unexpected situations, change the oil regularly and keep your tires properly inflated. To schedule an appointment at our service department click here.

4. Know Your Blind Spots

Anytime you’re changing lanes or merging, you’ll want to check for any car blind spot in your driver view first. Flip on your turn signal to let other cars know you’ll be moving over, and check your rear mirrors and side car mirrors.

5. Obey The Speed Limit

Speeding causes many crashes. More drivers are convicted of speeding than any other offense. To avoid being fined or involved in a crash, obey the speed limits.  Speed limits show the fastest speed you may drive under good conditions. You are responsible for adjusting your driving speed to the road conditions. For example, if the weather is bad or there is a lot of traffic, you must drive more slowly than the posted speed. The safe speed is the one that allows you to have complete control of your vehicle.

6. Back Up Slowly

Many accidents are caused by one vehicle backing into another one. Always check behind your vehicle before you get in. Children or small objects cannot be seen from the driver’s seat. Place your right arm on the back of the seat and turn around so that you can look directly through the rear window. Do not depend on your rear-view or side mirrors as you cannot see directly behind your vehicle. Back slowly; your vehicle is much harder to steer while you are backing.

7.  Always Wear Your Seatbelt

Wear a lap belt around your hips, not your stomach. Fasten the belt snugly. Wear a shoulder belt only with a lap belt. Don’t just use your safety belt for long trips or high-speed highways. More than half of the crashes that cause injury or death happen at speeds less than 40 MPH and within 25 miles from home.  It is unlawful for any person to operate a vehicle unless every passenger of the vehicle under the age of 18 is restrained by a safety belt or by a child restraint device, regardless of seating position.

8.  Put the phone down

Anything that takes the eyes off the road or hands off the wheel is clearly dangerous. Studies have shown that texting while driving is one of the worst of all driving distractions and a recent study ranked Florida as the second worst state for distracted driving. In 2016, Florida had nearly 50,000 accidents caused by distracted driving resulting in 233 deaths.

9. Do not tailgate 

Following too closely to any vehicle does not give you enough time to execute an emergency maneuver. It is recommended to maintain at least a 3-second lead between you and the vehicle in front at all times (5-seconds during bad weather).

10. Be Kind

Everyone makes mistakes, even you. No matter how skilled a driver you are, you’re bound to make an error at some point that could seriously agitate another driver. Try to be kind and courteous to your fellow drivers. The best way to avoid road rage is to practice good driving habits. When you do encounter an aggressive driver, it’s better to let him have his way, even when it feels unfair.

When your vehicle requires auto body repair after a collision or other accident, please complete our auto body shop appointment form and one of our collision center repair specialists in the Bradenton, St Petersburg, Sarasota, and Pinellas Park region will contact you as soon as possible. You may also call us at 941-748-6510 or stop in and visit us at 2700 1st St Bradenton, FL 34208 and experience the Firkins Auto Group difference today!

Collision Center