by: Dan Baldyga
Every driver should always have the following 5 items in their vehicle at all times !
#1. A paper and pen to take down notes in the event of an accident. #2. A list of all emergency phone numbers. #3. A disposable camera to record evidence at the scene of an accident. #4. A list of medical conditions or allergies you may have. #5. A set of cones, warning triangles or emergency flares to alert other drivers of an accident.
IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE
#6. Always wear your seat belt. (63% of people killed in accidents in 2004 were not wearing seat belts). On the average, inpatient hospital care costs for an unbelted cash victim are 50% higher than those who wore belts. (In 2004 there were an estimated 6,356,000 car accidents in the United States. Plus there were 2.9 million injuries and 42,643 individuals were killed).
It has been predicted that if 90 percent of American's wore seat belt’s (by the end of 2005) we would save over 8 billion bucks.
#7. Understand the effects of drugs and alcohol on your body.
#8. Be patient. And, if you’re fatigued, stop driving.
#9. Be courteous (rather than aggressive) toward other drivers.
#10. You must look both ways twice before crossing an intersection. (Don’t speed into an intersection the instant the light turns green. Another driver may be running a red light).
#11. Always check the “Blind Spots” before changing lanes.(There's plenty of proof that tells us our motor vehicle mirrors are not adequate).
#12. Leave enough space between yourself and the motor vehicle ahead of you. (When traveling or even when stopped).
#13. REPAIRING YOUR MOTOR VEHICLE PROPERTY DAMAGES. If and when you bring your motor vehicle to a repair shop, it’s important to keep in mind that different shops offer disparate damage appraisals. Because of this it’s always to your advantage to obtain several estimates prior to getting the damage repaired.
#14. REPAIRING YOUR PERSONAL INJURY DAMAGES. Your personal injury may not be apparent at the scene or perhaps it only becomes apparent at a later date. After you were involved in an accident you must see your physician. "Why?", you ask. The answer to that one is simple, "Because the physician may be able to identify injuries you’ve not yet noticed.
And so (no matter what others may say) be sure to visit your physician after ANY motor vehicle accident you've been involved in !
DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this article "FOURTEEN SOLID MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT INSIGHTS” is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process. Neither Dan Baldyga, Peter Go nor ARTICLE CITY make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever, NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, or claims consultant, or the like. Where such professional help is desired, it is THE INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.