Distracted driving: How to prevent an MVA

Unfortunately, many of us in New York get distracted while driving at one point or another. No matter if it’s texting or throwing a backpack into the backseat, they are both forms of distracted driving. However, those are just some of the most common, and the rest tend not to get as much attention. The following covers distractions you need to be aware of and how you can avoid them to prevent a serious motor vehicle accident (MVA) from occurring.

Incorporate technology

The phone is no doubt one of the most common distractions on the road. No matter if you receive a text from your spouse or an email for low-fare airlines, most people are going to stop and look.

Incorporating technology can help reduce this distraction. There are many applications on the market today that prevent any incoming messages from reaching your phone until you’ve stopped and gotten out of your vehicle.

Be attentive of others

It can be easy to follow the rules yourself, but this does not mean others will follow them as well. That is why it is important to be attentive to other drivers on the road, especially big rigs that have difficulty seeing smaller vehicles. How can you accomplish this? The following list includes things you can do to prevent an MVA from occurring:

• Understand your own limitations
• Check all your mirrors when merging
• Avoid aggressive drivers

Listen to your body

There’s no doubt about it; cities like New York will have traffic at most hours of the day. Driving in traffic, no matter where you live, requires that you be attentive to your surroundings. However, if you are drowsy or simply not in the right state of mind, then it is important to acknowledge it and seek other ways to get yourself home.

Although you can do your part to prevent an accident from occurring, the fact is that they are not always preventable. Thus, it is important to have an attorney at the ready to help you get maximum compensation if an accident leaves you injured.