Highway Safety
St. Louis, Kansas City, and Jefferson City, Missouri
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) releases thousands of statistics every year. While most accident statistics are going down in number, car accidents and car accident injuries are still a regular part of life.
Highway Accidents More Frequently Fatal
Nowhere are car accidents more dangerous than on the highway. Statistics in 2008 showed that the driver of an automobile involved in a highway crash is five times more likely to be killed than the passengers. This sometimes is accounted for by wrong-way car accidents which more severely impact those in the front of the car than in the back.
Highway traffic differs from city traffic because it often proceeds at much higher speeds. Because of this, the potential for injury or death is much greater. When the flow of traffic is interrupted, highway drivers travelling at high speeds have less time to react and, because of the velocity of their car, often are unable to stop in time, or may experience a rollover if they swerve at too great a speed.
Attentive Driving
More fatal accidents occur on highways than on other types of roads. Because of this, you should be more careful when driving on a highway. You can help prevent accidents and injuries by:
- Taking a defensive driving course
- Being more attentive while driving on the highway
- Avoiding cell phone and texting use on the highway
- Wearing proper safety restraints at all times
- Limiting your speed to the flow of traffic
- Giving yourself extra time to reach your destination by leaving early
Responding to Highway Accidents
If you witness a highway accident, you should not attempt to stop and help unless you can do so without endangering the drivers around you. If an accident occurs ahead of you, pump your breaks to warn drivers behind you that you are stopping abruptly. If necessary, pull off onto the shoulder of the highway to give yourself more time to stop.
If you are in a highway accident, you should respond in the same way that you would in any other accident, by calling the police and waiting for help to arrive. If you have only been involved in a minor accident, or a fender-bender, you may be required by law to move your car out of the lanes of traffic to avoid further collisions. You can learn more by reading about what to do after a car accident.
If you have been involved in a highway accident or would like information on help for highway accidents in the Jefferson City, St. Louis, or Kansas City areas of Missouri, please contact the experienced auto accident attorneys at The Bradley Law Firm today.