Celebrate National Road Safety Week with these Safe-Driving Practises

#AskJoshuaHimel

Annual reports of motor vehicle accidents throughout Canada have shown a decline in the number of fatalities and serious injuries. National Road Safety Week is approaching, so this seems like a good time to review a few safe driving practises that can reduce your risk of being involved in an accident and help to prevent injuries when accidents occur while traveling on Ontario streets and thoroughfares.

Everyone buckle up!

Wearing a seat belt is one of the easiest ways proven to reduce the risk of serious injury in a car crash, and it’s the law in Ontario. As the driver of a vehicle, it is your responsibility to make certain that you and each passenger under 16 years of age are securely buckled before getting underway. Children who are too young or too small to use a seat belt must be secured in a child car seat or booster seat.

Passengers who are 16 years of age and older can be fined for not using a seat belt. A broken seat belt does not excuse you or your passengers from complying with the seat belt law. It is still a traffic offence and can result in a fine.

A few tips for proper seat belt use include:

• Seat belts should lay across your lower hips and chest
• Only one person per seat belt
• Do not wear only the lap portion of the seat belt without the shoulder strap even if you are pregnant
• Do not twist the seat belt
• Do not place the shoulder strap behind you
• You must wear your seat belt even in vehicles equipped with air bags

Don’t think that riding as a passenger in a taxi exempts you from the risk of being thrown from the vehicle in the event of an accident. Safety and the law both require taxi passengers to wear seat belts.

Avoiding blind spot accidents

It is difficult to generalize about the location of blind spots on particular vehicles, but what can be said is that every vehicle probably has at least one blind spot. Other cars, trucks or pedestrians can go unnoticed when they are in a driver’s blind spot. Tips for avoiding blind spot collisions include:

• Before driving a vehicle, take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with its blind spots
• Adjust mirrors to give you the best view of the area around your vehicle
• Turn to look when changing lanes or backing your vehicle instead of relying only on your mirrors
• Check your mirrors frequently to maintain awareness of other vehicles

Never load your vehicle in such a way as to block your view out the side and rear windows. It is also a good idea to avoid being in other drivers’ blind spots.

Drive at a safe speed

Driving at the posted speed limit is a good way to avoid accidents and prevent being charged with a traffic offence and the fines and demerit points associated with a conviction. Keep in mind that the posted speed limit might not always be the safe speed at which to drive. Road conditions related to weather, debris or traffic could call for a reduction in your speed.

Knowing when to give others the right-of-way

A yield sign is an obvious reminder to give way to others, but there are other, less obvious, situations requiring you to yield, including:

• Vehicles on your right entering intersections with stop signs on every corner
• Pedestrians in marked crosswalks
• Buses reentering your lane from a bus bay

Getting help when you need it

The personal injury lawyers at Diamond and Diamond are there to help in the event of an accident. They have experience obtaining compensation for accident victims. Contact our 24/7 injury hotline at 1-800-567-HURT or visit our website to speak to someone now about your claim. Consultations are free, and we have offices located throughout Ontario.