Car accidents happen. Even the most careful person can’t avoid them. Weather conditions and other drivers’ mistakes can often result in them. But there are many things people can do to minimize injuries in a car accident, especially when there are children in the car. Here are a few tips for minimizing injuries in the event of a car accident.
Perform Regular Car Maintenance
It’s important to maintain your car regularly. Check fluid levels, get belts replaced regularly, check your oil and the battery. It’s also important to make sure your airbags inspected so they deploy properly in case you have an accident. Make sure your car lights are also working because if your turning signal isn’t working, people won’t know if you’re changing lanes or turning, which can cause problems. Also, make sure your tire treads are good. If all parts of your car work properly, including airbags, you have done everything possible to make sure your family is safe.
Proper Seating
Car seats and kids seatbelts help mitigate the risk of head injury. Children should use the right type of seating for their age and weight. Infants and toddlers should have a rear-facing car seat until they reach the highest weight allowed by the manufacturer. Toddlers and preschool-age children should ride in a convertible or a forward-facing car seat with a shoulder harness. Once they’ve outgrown the forward-facing car seat, they should ride in a booster seat. These seats allow the seat belt to be in the correct position until they’re about 4 feet 9 inches; most children reach this height when they’re between 9 and 12 years of age. Once they’ve reached that height, they can start using regular seat belts.
Children should always use lap and shoulder belts. The shoulder harness should fit across the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat, and the lap belt should fit snugly across the top of the thighs. They can also use a child’s seat belt. Kids seat belts help mitigate the risk of head injury during an accident by keeping them properly restrained.
Wear Proper Shoes
That may sound strange, but wearing proper shoes can also help minimize injury. Many people wear sandals or flip-flops during the summer months. It can be tempting to wear them when you go out to run errands. However, these types of footwear offer very little protection to your feet when switching pedals. On the opposite end of things, thick or heavy combat or wellington boots make it equally as difficult to drive since you can’t bend your ankle as well, and it’s hard to feel how much you’re pressing down. They also don’t allow you to control the vehicle as well. To ensure you can control the vehicle, take off the flip-flops when you run errands and put on shoes that cover your feet completely.
These are just three things people can do to minimize injuries in a car accident. When driving, be sure to obey all road signs and traffic lights and be alert to other drivers’ mistakes. These tips can also help reduce injuries in a car accident.
Knowing Who To Call After a Car Accident
Even if you follow all of the best practices for safe driving, accidents happen. Whether you make a mistake or someone else on the road does, anyone could find themselves stuck on the side of the road. When something goes wrong, make sure you know a company that will assist you quickly and efficiently.
At Accurate Towing Service, our trained and certified team will arrive quickly to provide you with excellent and professional service. We’ve provided the very best in roadside assistance for over 30 years. If you find yourself in one of these situations, contact us and we’ll be there in no time.
