Don’t worry, all Atlanta auto collision lawyers know that even great drivers make some common mistakes behind the wheel. In fact, anyone who’s been driving for a while has probably forgotten the very fundamentals of a safe position for driving and safe steering practices. Here are the three most common driver mistakes that we found among good drivers. These aren’t necessarily traffic infractions and while they may not get you a ticket, they might produce more injury in the event of a crash.
Of course, we have a wide variety of useful resources and reliable authorities to provide us with information on what makes a safer driving experience. With the National Highway Transportation Safety Association, The American Automobile Association, Drive Safe, and many other organizations, we know that we’ll always have good information to help us return to these basics. All Atlanta auto collision lawyers believe that fundamentals are essential.
Placing Your Hands at 10 and 2
For decades teenagers and adult drivers were instructed to hold the steering wheel at the positions of 10 and 2 on the steering wheel. However, in 2012 we got a lesson on why that was incorrect. Holding the wheel at 10 and 2 contributed to a multitude of arm, wrist, and hand injuries especially when the airbag went off.
So where should you be holding the steering wheel? Although it is less comfortable, the National Highway Transportation Safety Association advises drivers to hold the steering wheel at 3 and 9. Drivers should follow the advice that their hand should be placed at opposite points on the steering wheel with a firm but gentle grip. The idea is that if the airbag should go off or in the event of a collision, it would be easy for the hands to come away from the steering wheel with minimal injury.
Sitting Too Far or Too Close to the Steering Wheel
Have you ever gotten in the car with someone and realize they were sitting really close to the steering wheel? Or maybe you noticed that you tend to sit further back from the wheel. There is a right answer for how close you should be to the steering wheel when driving. AAA advises that drivers should sit with 10 to 12 inches between the steering wheel to their sternum.
However, that 10 to 12 inches is not definite for every person. The driver should also be able to comfortably have their arms at right angles to hold the steering wheel. They should also comfortably be seated with their head back and their line-of-sight 3-inches above the top of the steering wheel. To accomplish all of these things, the driver may need to sit further back from the steering wheel, but they should never sit closer than 10-inches to the steering wheel.
Eating and Driving
Let’s be honest, if people weren’t supposed to eat in the car there wouldn’t be drive-thrus. So what do authorities expect to see other than people eating behind the wheel? However, eating and driving is a form of distracted driving almost on par with texting while driving or even driving while intoxicated. It’s a simple problem that Atlanta auto collision lawyers wish they’d see less of, however.
Of course, you’re much more focused on the road between bites than you would be if you were intoxicated, but the purpose is still the same. You’re not exclusively focused on the road. Eating and driving do lead to two accidents, and many states do have laws that prohibit eating while driving. Georgia does not exclusively have an eating and driving lock, sometimes called hamburger laws, but they have applied eating to the existing distracted driving Georgia code. All Atlanta auto collision lawyers know that the Georgia law on distracted driving says that drivers cannot engage in any action that distracts them from driving.
Atlanta Auto Collision Lawyers Helping Those Injured by Common Driver Mistakes
Resolving an accident is all about determining fault and understanding who will take responsibility. In Georgia, everyone’s required to meet a minimum for insurance coverage. you should expect the other driver to have insurance coverage, but you might consider adding UM or UIM coverage to your own plan in case they don’t.
In the event of a crash, you’ll file a claim with the other driver’s insurance provider. Then they will go through and appraise the claim, give a value to the damages, and provide a compensation check if they determine that you were not at fault. Usually, this process is not smooth and the victim of a crash likely has to fight for full or at least fair compensation. You can take that fight seriously with the Weinstein firm by bringing in experienced Atlanta auto collision lawyers.
