Our Seattle auto body shop knows that there’s little as frustrating as having to deal with an accident that wasn’t your fault. It only takes one bad driver to ruin two drivers’ days, no matter how good of a driver is in the other car. You may never be able to entirely avoid the distracted motorists and road-rage barbarians of the world, but by following these tips you can at least minimize your chances of coming fender-to-fender with one.
- Keep Your Cool: Aggressive driving can be contagious. If somebody is cutting you off or showboating on the road, don’t encourage them. Remind yourself that the law of averages is bound to catch up with this driver eventually, and that you don’t have to be in the crossfire when it does.
- Treat Intersections with Particular Caution: Intersections are magnets for collisions. Be mindful of the fact that some drivers are going to be pushing the limits of yellow lights, or talking on a cell phone when they should be focusing on their turns. An extra check in both directions can pay big dividends.
- Turn and Look Behind You when Merging: There is a big blind spot that you can only compensate for by physically turning and looking over your shoulder, and it’s all the more important to watch this blind spot in an age where the person behind you has a tendency to speed up when he sees your turn signal.
- Avoid Driving at Dangerous Times or in Dangerous Areas: You probably know of certain places, or certain days of the year, which are prone to drinking. Drunken driving accounts for a full third of auto accidents, so it may pay off to plan on avoiding the road entirely when the revellers start stumbling into their driver’s seats.