The dangers of the road never seem to go away. And with over 6 million road traffic accidents in the United States each year, you should do all you can to protect yourself from impaired drivers. Most collisions are caused by not paying attention, and new technologies such as automatic braking and infra-red night vision are invaluable for road safety.
However, there are those among us who simply do not care about road safety. They might drive at excessive speeds, run red lights, or tailgate in dangerous weather. Whatever they do, to put it simply, the world is full of impaired drivers. But all is not lost, and there are various things you can do to help yourself and others when on the road.
Install Cameras and Recording Devices
Camera technology gets smaller all the time. They are so small now that they can be easily installed inside your car. Known as "Dash Cams," these tiny cameras can be fitted to watch the front, rear, and sides of your vehicle. They aren't expensive, and many of them work with existing smartphone models and companion apps.
Modern cameras also record in HD and save recordings either to their internal memory chip or continuous upload to a cloud storage server. Some models can also be used in real-time to allow you to see what's behind you, making parking and backing out a little safer.
Always Seek Legal Advice
Suppose the worst should happen, and you are unfortunate enough to be involved in a vehicular incident. In that case, you should seek legal advice for any of the following reasons:
- You have suffered harm
- Someone else has suffered harm
- There is a liability dispute
- You require medical attention
- There are medical bills that need to be paid
- You were arrested
Depending on the circumstances, you may need an adequate criminal lawyer or trustworthy car accident attorneys to represent you. Cases like this are where dash cams come in really handy. It's tough to dispute high-definition video evidence. But if you are unsure about anything, seek legal advice anyway, as it's best to insulate yourself as early as possible.
Be Vigilant and Aware of the Signs
As a regular driver, you are probably subjected to bad drivers every day. You might even be guilty of a few bad habits yourself. But you can rectify these and continually improve. Unfortunately, some people drive bad early on and then drive bad for the rest of their lives. They just don't care. But a vehicle is a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands, and there is always a risk on the road.
Fortunately, if you focus your awareness and practice, you will develop the ability to spot lousy driving as soon as possible. Then you can take steps to protect yourself. Speeding, constant lane changing, and cutting up other road users are the tell-tale signs of an aggressive driver. Always keep an eye out for these childish actions as they can become extremely dangerous.
Improve Your Driving to Compensate for Others
There are bad drivers everywhere. And whether you are a new or veteran driver, you can continuously improve. Improving your driving skills will allow you to compensate for the impaired driving of others. For example, being aware of how certain off-ramps are approaching and at what speed makes you feel like you are leading others off the highway. Driving is an ongoing process that you continuously learn for life. So make sure you stay focused and understand the highway code as much as you can.
But you can also enlist in advanced driving classes. The aim of advanced driving is to teach you how to control a vehicle properly in various situations. For example, you will learn how to smoothly operate a car systematically. This allows you to progress your journey with minimal obstruction or intrusion to other traffic with skill and a high degree of responsibility.
Be the Example You Want to See
Of course, you can help yourself and others by essentially doing the opposite of impaired drivers. Additionally, not giving in to the temptation to react to others by road dueling will keep the road safer until they move on or pull off in another direction. Road rage is a strange phenomenon but driving while angry forces you to act out of emotion rather than logic.
If you are the type of person who is easily angered, then try to control it as best you can. If you can, pull over and calm down, or you run the risk of becoming as bad as the bad drivers you despise. Also, do not engage with an aggressive driver by making obscene gestures, shouting, or even making eye contact. Instead, let them pass and leave them for law enforcement to deal with.