Defensive driving is wise and can help you avoid car accidents. You need to keep an eye on the drivers around you and take proper precautions when they look like they may make mistakes. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you’re such a good driver that you’ll see any potential wreck coming and be able to avoid it.
The truth is that car accidents can happen very quickly, with little to no warning. Even if you’re alert, you may have no idea that the crash is coming until it has already happened.
People sometimes have this idea that time slows down in a crash. While that may be true for some, others tell the opposite story. For instance, one man was riding in a car when the driver swerved to avoid hitting a duck and instead hit a tree. The impact threw the passenger through the front window and then the car, which was still moving, proceeded to run him over.
It wasn’t slow, though, and there was no warning. He didn’t even remember a lot of what happened. One minute he was in the car and the next he was lying in front of it, getting run over.
Now, he wasn’t the driver in that scenario, so there was little he could have done even if he had seen it coming, but it shows how fast everything can change. Even careful, defensive drivers get hit by people who drive across the centerline, run stop signs, run red lights and make illegal turns — just to name a few common errors. If it only takes a split-second to go from a normal drive to a crash, you can’t avoid it. And that is why you need to know how to seek compensation for your medical bills and other costs.
