Driving may be exciting. However, if it’s your first time, you should not only be careful as there are other things you should also consider. Although you can drive around with your license, it’s not enough to keep you safe when driving. You must be mentally, emotionally, and physically be prepared as well.
Moreover, you should consider the following when you’re a new driver:
1. Steps To Take After A Car Accident
Just in case you’ll be involved in a car accident, you must be prepared to deal with it. Knowing what to do during this situation can help you with insurance claims and the like.
Here are the vital steps you might need to take when you’re in a car accident:
- File An Insurance Claim: Filing insurance claims due to a car accident may only be done within state statutory limits. Most states have a two-year statutory limit to file insurance claims from the time of the car accident. After that, you cannot file it anymore. That’s why filing it immediately is required. You can find a firm online that published an article on how long you should file a claim, and reading will help you understand more about filing claims.
- Seek Medical Treatment: You should also immediately seek medical treatment. You’ll need to prove that the car accident caused you injuries, which will help you in filing your claim.
- Hire A Car Accident Lawyer: Lastly, you should hire a car accident lawyer because he can help you with the legal and insurance claims processes. Especially if you don’t have the experience to file your insurance claims, hiring a car accident lawyer will help you throughout the process.
2. Traffic Laws
Before hitting the road, you must ensure that you know the traffic laws governing your state. If you know the laws, you know what you should and shouldn’t do while on the road. This will help you prevent future accidents.
Although traffic laws vary in each state, you must know the basic ones like the following:
- Drunk Driving: Yes, people know that one shouldn’t drive when they’re under the influence of alcohol. However, you must also know the blood alcohol limit, which is usually about .08 for people of legal age to drink. By adhering to such, you can determine if you can or can’t drive.
- Speed Limits: Speeding is one of the many reasons road accidents happen. Check your state’s laws to know the safe speed for each type of road and vehicle.
- Safe Distance: Maintaining a safe distance from the car in front of you is also essential to avoid collisions. Generally, you might need to have at least 80 m when driving at 80 km/h if you’re driving a car with new tires. But, when tires are worn or during rainy days, you might need to keep a distance twice that.
3. How To React To Cops
Don’t flee when a police officer pulls you over. This is one of the common mistakes of first-time drivers when pulled over by a police officer. What you should do is to pull over and wait for the officer to explain the reason you were flagged down.
Instead of being antagonistic or nervous, be polite and follow what the officer asks you to do. By doing so, you can be on your way the soonest.
4. No Cell Phones
Another important thing you need to consider when driving for the first time is to avoid using your mobile phone. If you need to answer a call, stop your car on a safe road before doing so. That way, you can avoid violating the law and endangering yourself.
When you’re using your mobile phone while driving, you can get distracted. As a result, you can’t focus on driving. In case of emergency, you may not respond quickly if you’re distracted. For instance, you may accidentally drift into other lanes, run off the road, or rear-end cars in front of you.
Conclusion
Even as you know how to drive and read road signs, you must also consider the sections above to ensure safety when driving. Prepare yourself when a car accident occurs by knowing what steps to take. You can also avoid car accidents if you understand the traffic laws in your state. In case an officer pulls you over, stop and follow what he asks of you. Most importantly, don’t use your mobile phone when you’re driving so that you can focus on what’s happening on the road. Doing these things will keep you and other drivers safe on the road.
