If you find yourself driving on the highways in and around St. Paul, you know just how dangerous it can be. Even when you’re following the rules of the road and doing your best to maintain your safety, there are other drivers who don’t seem to care much about you.
The best thing you can do is follow a variety of safe highway driving tips, as these will help prevent trouble on the road:
- Be careful when merging: Accelerate at the proper speed to ensure that you safely merge into the flow of traffic.
- Think before passing a vehicle: For example, you may assume that passing a truck on the right is a good idea, but this actually increases the risk of an accident. You should only pass in the left lane.
- Pick a lane and stay there: It’s commonplace for drivers to maneuver from lane to lane, especially when traffic is heavy. You should pick a lane and stay in it until it’s time to exit.
- Watch for stopped vehicles: Things can and will go wrong on the highway, so you should always watch for stopped vehicles, such as those that are disabled. If possible, move as far away as you can from a stopped vehicle.
- Take breaks when necessary: Regardless of the length of your trip or destination, if you’re too tired to drive you should pull over. A quick break may be all you need to refresh your mind and body.
It’s easy to assume you’ll follow all these highway driving safety tips. And while you may, don’t assume that other drivers are as cautious. There are people out there who drive without regard for others, even if it increases the chance of trouble on the road.
If you’re part of a motor vehicle accident, do the following:
- Move your vehicle to safety, if possible
- Check yourself and passengers for injuries
- Call 911 and stay put until help arrives
- Receive medical treatment
- Follow the advice of your medical team
- Contact your insurance company to file a claim
Once you do these things, you’ll feel more comfortable reviewing the accident with an eye toward what went wrong. If another person caused the accident, you may have the legal right to hold them responsible for your injuries and damages.