A horrific crash in Gautier claimed the lives of four people. The accident occurred in heavy traffic. An accident had stopped traffic on the westbound side of the highway. As people sat in traffic waiting for that accident to get cleared, a devastating pile-up crash occurred. An eighteen wheeler rear-ended an SUV, and the force of the impact pushed the SUV into the rear of a pickup truck and then into the rear of another tractor trailer. The four adults who perished in the wreck were all passengers in the SUV.
It is essential that drivers learn how to drive safely through congested traffic. Sitting in traffic can be annoying, and it can make you feel anxious if you are trying to arrive somewhere at a specific time. Despite how you feel about sitting in traffic, you must remain aware of what is going on around you and do what you can to stay safe.
One way to drive safely in traffic is to avoid it whenever possible. Sometimes, you can commute to work early and leave early, or go in later and stay later to avoid rush hour traffic on either end of the day. For non-work trips, plan to go during times when traffic is not usually heavy. Sometimes planning your trip around traffic is not an option. When that happens, it is time to employ the following safe-driving strategies.
Whenever you are driving, look ahead of you often, so that you can see traffic slowing or stopping before you get right up to it. When you see slowed or stopped traffic, slow down accordingly as you approach it. Once you are sitting in traffic that is slowed or stopped, it can be tempting to distract yourself with a smartphone, loud music, or conversation. It may seem counter-intuitive, but you must pay extra close attention to driving when you are driving slowly or not even moving. If you have ever turned the radio way, way down while driving in a congested area or you have asked your children to “Be quiet, there is traffic, and I need to focus,” you understand the need for focus that driving in traffic creates. Turn off the phone, turn down the radio, and ask that your passengers help you be safe by talking quietly amongst themselves.
Now that you are focused on the road and the traffic around you, it’s time to drive defensively. Pay attention to your surroundings, keep your vehicle moving with the flow of traffic, and leave plenty of space between your car and other nearby vehicles. As traffic begins to move, maintain more and more space between your vehicle and the car in front of you as speed increases because you need room to stop if traffic slows down or stops again.
Barrett Law PLLC: Serving Families Affected by Mississippi Car Crashes
If your family has been affected by a Mississippi motor vehicle wreck, a Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorney can help you pursue a claim for your damages or your loss. Call the Mississippi Automobile Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC, at 1 (800) 707-9577, to learn more.