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• The Importance of Witnesses in an Ohio Personal Injury Case

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Top 10 Ways To Avoid an Ohio Car or Truck Accident

Over the years my attorneys and I have handled thousands of Ohio car and truck accident cases, and we have seen how most car and truck accidents occur. Sometimes the accidents could have been avoided, sometimes not. Very few people intend to harm others while driving. Instead they are mere accidents. But most of the time the “accident” was caused by someone else’s carelessness and failure to pay attention while driving, and was avoidable by the negligent party. That is why they have to pay for the pain they cause others, because they were at fault. They are to blame.

Here is a list of the top ten ways we believe Ohioans can reduce their chances of being in a truck accident or motor vehicle accident on Ohio roads. While none of these tips guarantee that you will not be in a accident, together they reduce your chances of being a victim of an accident.

1. Don’t text and drive. Texting and driving is one of the sure fire ways to end up in an accident. Studies show that texting while driving reduces your reaction time while driving the same as if you were drinking a lot of bears. You would not drive drunk so why would you text and drive. It seems innocent enough, but many a defendant thought it was no big deal to text and drive until they end up being sued in court. Some Counties like Summit County have made texting while driving illegal. That means you can get a ticket just for texting your friends while driving. Ask yourself: is that text so important that it is worth losing my life? Usually the text can wait until you get where you are going. If absolutely necessary, why not call the person and use a speaker phone to keep your hands free.
2. Make sure your car is in tip-top shape. When your car is in great shape you are more likely to be able to not cause accidents and even avoid them when someone else is driving carelessly. When your tires and brakes are in top condition, it makes avoiding accidents much easier. How do you stop quickly when you have no tread on your tires? How can you correctly signal your intent to turn or stop when your turning or brake lights don’t work? You are much more likely to stop in time or swerve out of the way when your car or truck works like it was designed to work. An Ohio motor vehicle without proper brakes and tires is very dangerous to everyone on the road.
3. Stop at all stop signs. This is an obvious tip, but you would be surprised at how many people roll through stop signs or jut their front ends out into traffic at a stop sign. Always ask yourself “am I setting myself up for an accident here?” or “are my actions likely to lead someone else to hit me?”
4. Look both ways before turning right on red or proceeding through an intersection. This second seemingly obvious tip ends up being the cause of many accidents. Over the years, I am surprised at how many people proceed through intersections assuming everyone else will follow the law and do the same. Don’t assume everyone on the road is paying attention. If they were, personal injury lawyers would be out of business. Take a few seconds and look both ways. Remember, just because the light is green does not mean it is totally safe to enter the intersection.
5. Scan the cars and area in front of you. It is shocking how many Ohio accidents are caused by drivers failing to keep an assured clear distance. In other words, they just don’t pay attention and run into the car in front of them. The reasons for this can be texting, putting on makeup, talking to a friend, etc. Remember that you are driving a 3,000 to 4,000 pound car at 35-65 miles an hour. Next time you are outside of your car, look at the cars going by and imagine how it would feel if one of them ran into you or your car. People lose perspective of the real dangers of driving when they are behind the wheel. If you just made sure “not to hit the guy in front of you” many Ohio accidents would not occur. Also, don’t ride so close behind the guy in front of you that you can clearly read his license plate. If you can watch the tv in the back seat of the car in front of you, you are way too close.
   
6. Beware of blind spots. Blind spots cause a lot of accidents in Ohio. This is especially true when you are changing lanes. I always look in the side mirror and physically check the blind spot very quickly. You can also buy mirrors that attach to your side view mirrors that reduce the blind spot. Some new cars will even tell you when a car is in your blind spot and you are trying to change lanes.
7. Slow down in the rain and snow. It only makes sense that when the roads are wet with rain or snow or ice, tires don’t work as well and it takes longer to stop. Brakes skid on ice. Also, car and truck handling decreases significantly. Drive farther behind the car in front of you when the weather turns bad. Drive slower. It is not worth risking your life.
8. Drive with both hands on the wheel. This seems obvious, but when you have both hands on the wheel, you are not playing with the radio, a comb or brush, or texting. Remember you are driving a machine capable of killing a lot of people. Treat it with the respect it deserves. You would not use a chain saw with two fingers while texting would you?
   
9. Don’t drive after drinking, taking heavy pain killers or when extremely tired. According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, 320 people lost their lives because of drunk drivers on Ohio roads in 2009. 

I hear the excuse from defendants all the time that “I did not know I was drunk” or “I thought I was OK to drive home.” Personally, my rule is that if I have more than one beer I don’t drive. This may seem extreme to you, but after you have seen all I have seen, it is not a problem for me to have my girlfriend drive or simply have an iced tea instead of a beer. My rule is that if I have to ask myself if I am OK to drive I probably should not drive. Driving while extremely tired car reduce your reaction time significantly. Have a friend drive if possible, or get off he road if you think you are about to fall asleep at the wheel and are struggling to keep your eyes open.
10. Don’t assume the other guy is a safe driver. This is sort of a general tip that will help keep you safe on the roads. People tell me that they did not think they could get in an accident because they are a good driver. They failed to plan for the other guy who was drunk, on drugs, tired, texting or just distracted on the road. Do not assume the other guy is as good and conscientious as you are. It may just save your life.
    

None of these 10 tips are a surefire way to prevent an Ohio truck or car accident. You can only control what you or the driver of your car does behind the wheel, not what other drivers decide to do. Take responsibility when you drive and focus on the task at hand. It's not a time to text friends, check email, or put on your make up. Driving is an exercise in self-defense. You are in the car or truck to safely get from point A to point B. See it like that and you are more likely to make it home tonight.


If you have been hurt in an Ohio car crash, call the Ohio car accident lawyers at Chester Law Group at 1-800-218-4243 or order your FREE BOOK entitled “The Insider’s Guide to Handling Ohio Accident Claims” at www.chesterlaw.com.

Chester Law Group Co., LPA are located in Akron, Youngstown, Canton, Toledo, Columbus, Westlake, Amherst, Beachwood, Mentor, Twinsburg, Ravenna, Warren, Medina, and Independence, Ohio.

Our offices serve clients statewide in Ohio including the following areas:

Akron / Canton, Cleveland Metropolitan Area, Youngstown / Warren, Elyria / Lorain, Toledo, Columbus, Cincinnati, and rural Ohio.

Contact us today for a FREE, NO OBLIGATION consultation about your personal injury legal needs.

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