Dr. G's Common Sense Tips on How Not To Die in an automobile Accident

Here are Dr. G's recommendations:

1. Decelerate from Death. With every ten miles per hour faster that you go, your risk of dying goes up proportionately. Resist the urge to accelerate on yellow lights. Most traffic lights are only thirty to fifty seconds long. Rushing through an intersection can put your life at risk.

2. Fasten your seat belts. Buckling up can double your chance of surviving an accident. You are better off when you remain inside a vehicle during a crash, protected by the structure around you. The interior of a car is a more forgiving environment that the outside of your car. When you're ejected, bad things happen to you.

3. Use the equipment as intended. Dr. G reports seeing victims cut in half by seat belts where the shoulder harness is moved under the arm. Also, sit back as far as possible from air bags. That offers the best protection.

4. For your kids: a. keep them in the back seat; b. use a rear facing child safety seat as long as possible; c. when the child is greater than 20 pounds, keep them in the back in a forward facing child safety seat until about forty pounds; d. then use booster seats with a seat belt in the back until the seat belt properly fits.

5. Never, ever pull over on the side of a highway for any reason. Drive until you get to an off ramp or the nearest station.

6. Don't drive when distracted by anything: applying makeup, using cell phone, guzzling coffee. You get it. Driving inattentiveness causes about 25 pewrcent of all car crashes in the United States.

7. Drive with your windows up. Dr. G had one case where the fatality occured because a bee flew into the cab of a truck driver. If you do roll down your windows, do it all the way. Getting thrown out of a window partially down causes horrific injuries if you're ejected.

8. Beware of flying objects. Anything unrestrained in your car can become a dangerous missile. Put them into trunk organizers designed for your car to avoid injuries from flying sports equipment, computers, groceries, jumper cables and plenty of other items.

9. Don't let Friends or Yourself drive Drunk. PERIOD!

10. Drowsy drivers account for about one hundred thousand accidents a year. They are usually single vehicle accidents but many are terrible head on collisions.

11. Bad Driving Periods. The most dangerous hours to be on the roadways are Friday night and Saturday night between midnight and 3 a.m. when the bars typically close.

12 Emotional drivers are bad drivers. You are at a much greater risk of injuries or death if you join in a traffic dispute even if it's by honking your horn or glaring at another driver. Anyone who raises the middle finger is playing Russian roulette on the road.

13. More than 65 percent of all traffic collisions occur at or are influenced by an intersection according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The average speed of a driver through an intersection is 50 mph.

14. Travel in the center or right lane and allow plenty of room on all four sides of your vehicle. Always use turn signals when you're trying to avoid these situations.

15. Know when you're too old to drive. Drivers over the age of 75 have more accidents than any other group except teenagers.

The Monahan Law Practice
300 North Pottstown Pike
Suite 210
Exton, PA 19341-2233

Phone: (610) 363-3888
Fax: (610) 363-2429