No one ever expects to be in a car accident, but they can happen. While you can't always prevent them from happening, there are things you can do to make sure you and your loved ones are as safe as possible if one does occur.
Here are three tips for protecting yourself and your family while on the road.
3. Buy Uninsured Motorist Coverage
1. Drive a safe vehicle:
Make sure to drive a car that has proper safety features and has passed the NHTSA.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a government body that conducts safety tests to see how well new cars protect drivers and passengers in accidents, how well cars resist rollovers, and whether vehicles with the most up-to-date safety technologies can prevent collisions.
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings help consumers make smart decisions about safety when purchasing a vehicle. Vehicles that have earned the 5-Star Safety Ratings designation help protect people in crashes and limit the amount of harm.
Every year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tests new vehicles and gives them five-star safety ratings using the 5-Star Safety Ratings system. The highest rating is five stars, with one star representing the lowest quality.
Frontal or side collisions are the most common causes of vehicle damage and injury in the United States. In rollovers, more than one-quarter of passenger car accident fatalities occur. Although there is no way to determine how well vehicles protect drivers and passengers in all types of accidents, safety ratings assist consumers compare safety features and crash performance across vehicle classes.
A vehicle’s 5-Star Safety Rating combines the results of the frontal crash tests, side crash tests and a rollover resistance test into one score that indicates the overall risk of injury to a vehicle occupant if the vehicle is involved in a crash. The scores range from one to five stars, with one-star being the lowest and five stars being the highest. The more stars a vehicle has, the safer it is—more stars mean safer cars.
Check the safety ratings of your vehicle here!
2. Drive defensively:
Defensive driving is a set of concepts and practices designed to help you save lives, time, and money by avoiding dangerous situations on the road.
Defensive drivers have learned through experience that being aware of possible risks can help them avoid problems. They know when they drive in hazardous conditions or under hazardous conditions from other drivers, their chances of getting into a crash are much greater.
Safe driving should be your topmost priority, once you set yourself out on the road. Whether you’re the driver or a passenger in the vehicle, there are many things you can do to ensure safety on the road.
- Always wear your seatbelt
- Focus and stay alert
- Keep your phone down
- Keep a safe distance
- Monitor Your Own Blind Spots
- Avoid distracted or dangerous drivers
- Follow the posted signs and laws
- Minimize your own distractions
Even if you don't think you'll get caught, never ignore the law. Keep in mind that laws have a purpose, and it's up to you to ensure total adherence to them. Most importantly, being safe on the road isn't just for your benefit; it's also for the other pedestrians and your family who are anxiously waiting for you to get home.
3. Buy Uninsured Motorist Coverage :
Always purchase coverage, with limits as high as you can afford. If you follow our posts, you know that we beat this drum often – and with good reason. We believe this is the most valuable coverage on your policy, and frankly, it is the best bargain.
Uninsured motorist insurance (UM) protects drivers from injuries and damages caused by uninsured and underinsured motorists. UM coverage is a no-fault type of insurance that covers you and your family even if the other driver who caused the accident didn't have any liability insurance.
This insurance covers your medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and future medical bills, if you are in a wreck that was caused by someone who has:
1) no insurance, or
2) not enough insurance (your UM insurance will also cover the damages of your passengers in most circumstances).
It is estimated that over 50% of Louisiana drivers have either no insurance or a minimum policy, so it is very important to buy as much uninsured motorist coverage as possible. If someone else injures you in Louisiana, odds are they won’t have auto insurance or will not have sufficient coverage to pay for all of your damages. But if you have UM coverage, you have peace of mind knowing that your own insurance will pick up the slack.
Give us a call for help
We hope this article has given you some insight on how to protect yourself and your family while driving.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, make sure to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. The attorneys at Chaz Roberts Law Firm are ready and waiting to handle your case with the care it deserves.
We offer free consultations so that you can get all of your questions answered before deciding on representation.
