Nightmare Driving Scenarios (And What To Do If They Happen)
Posted by admin at 17 October 2017, at 10 : 17 AM
We take ourselves for granted when we drive, but the combination of operating a potentially dangerous piece of machinery and razor sharp hazard perception is truly staggering. Responsible road users are able to navigate the terrain at high speeds while keeping an eye out for dangerous drivers and keeping the squirming toddlers in the back still and compliant. You do so much to avoid something going wrong, and while it’s truly commendable, it’s also important to know what to do when the worst case scenario unfolds at 70 miles per hour on the highway. You will have just seconds to react in a flurry of noise, broken glass and the squeal of burning tires and what you do in those seconds will be all important. Read on, it may just save your life…
What to do when you skid and lose control of your car
However carefully you drive, patches of ice or water on the road may cause you to momentarily lose control of your vehicle. You may have heard that you should turn into the skid, but this is (while an effective strategy) something of an over simplification. The first thing you should do is quickly take your foot off the gas, then, pick a focal point somewhere down the road and gently steer the car to that point. The worst thing you can do is throw the car in one direction or another as this can cause some cars (particularly top-heavy SUVs) to roll over. Likewise slamming on your brakes will cause you to skid even more. Your safest option is to let yourself slow down, then, apply the brake when you’re rolling straight.
What to do if a truck collides with you
As with any vehicle, your first part of call will be to maneuver your vehicle (if it’s driveable) to a safe spot away from busy intersections. You should only get out of the vehicle if it will not endanger anyone or exacerbate traffic. If you haven’t been injured, then, thank your lucky stars as since most trucks weigh around 20 times that of the average family car, the laws of physics will always favor the truck. Here the process becomes legislative, and if the truck driver is at fault, you will need to enlist a truck accident lawyer to begin proceedings against the company. Before that, however, you should:
* Get a medical evaluation
* Report the incident to your insurance company
* Decline to sign anything you’re presented with by the company’s adjuster or without the advisement of your legal counsel
What to do if your toddler gets free of their car seat
It’s every parent’s nightmare that their toddler might wriggle free of their car seat and place themselves at serious risk. The best thing you can do is fight every parental instinct to start screaming and yelling at them however distressed you may be. This will cause you to lose focus and take your eyes off the road and in this situation anything that could cause you to slam on your brakes would be disastrous. Slowly and calmly stop the car as soon as it’s safe to do so and secure your child back in their car seat telling them calmly but firmly just how dangerous their behavior has been.