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How to prevent a rush hour traffic accident

On Behalf of | Sep 27, 2019 | Car Accidents, Motor Vehicle Accidents |

Driving in rush hour traffic is stressful and dangerous. However, if you live in or around the Twin Cities metro area, you can expect to find yourself in bumper-to-bumper traffic during the morning and evening hours.

There are several key steps you can take to prevent a rush hour traffic accident:

  • Don’t be in a hurry: No matter how late you’re running behind schedule, don’t hurry to the point of taking risks on the road. The best way to protect against this behavior is to leave extra time in your schedule to reach your destination. This can help relieve a lot of the stress associated with rush hour driving.
  • Choose another route: You don’t have to take the same route every day. Changing routes, even if it’s a longer distance, may keep you out of heavy rush hour traffic, which reduces the risk of an accident.
  • Watch for dangerous drivers: Even if you’re driving safe, it doesn’t mean that others are doing the same. There will be people around you who are speeding, changing lanes without signaling and texting. Beware of these drivers and do your best to keep your distance.
  • Stay in your lane: One of the top causes of rush hour traffic accidents is lane jumping. Choose your lane and stay there until you absolutely need to make a change, such as to exit the highway.
  • Don’t follow too closely: When traffic slows, it’s possible you’ll find yourself driving too closely to the vehicle in front of yours. Leave more space, as doing so gives you more time to stop in the event that the lead vehicle slams on their brakes.

Taking these steps will give you more confidence in your ability to prevent a rush hour traffic accident.

If another driver strikes your vehicle, such as someone who was talking on the phone or texting, move to safety and exchange information if possible. You should also seek medical treatment at a local hospital.

Once your health is stable and you’ve collected information pertaining to the accident, file an insurance claim and learn more about the types of damages you can seek from the negligent driver.

A car accident has the potential to alter your life, so you should do whatever you can to protect your legal rights.