6 Tips On Getting Through Traffic Jams In One Piece

Traffic snarls are a touchstone of Southern California, but that doesn’t give any driver an excuse to engage in dangerous behavior. The Los Angeles auto accident lawyers of Binder & Associates are therefore offering six important safety tips geared toward helping motor vehicle operators who find themselves stuck in gridlock.

Pasadena, CA - It’s almost become a cliche at this point to say that Southern California and Los Angeles in particular have heavy traffic. Anyone who resides in or visits the area knows that gridlock is but a fact of life.

Given the state of the roadways, it’s not surprising that motor vehicle mishaps are commonplace. Drivers can easily become frustrated with the flow of traffic (or lack thereof) and commit a dangerous splitsecond maneuver that can lead to a lifetime of repercussions.

In a bid to reduce such incidents, the Southern California personal injury lawyers of Binder & Associates have put together a list of safety tips aimed at dissuading drivers from making some of the most flagrant mistakes plaguing local freeways. Attorney Richard Carl Binder spoke on the matter:

“It’s astonishing that two things that California is known for, its progressive culture of safety and its packed roads, seem to be diametrically opposed to one another,” said Mr. Binder. “There’s no reason that one has to preclude the other. If we all work together, we can make sure that the state’s roads carry the same degree of protection that we take for granted in other aspects of daily life.”

With that in mind, drivers are asked to heed the following tips for the safest journey possible:

Patience Isn’t A Virtue, It’s THE VirtueThe best thing an individual can do for themselves when navigating a road beset by heavy traffic is to exercise restraint. Everyone has found themselves in a situation where they want to scream and curse at the mess of cars in all directions, but this only leads to road rage and poor judgment. Be patient to make a commute more pleasant.

A Van With A PlanPreparation can go a long way toward allowing one to achieve a patient state of mind. Leave early for a destination and have alternate routes planned well in advance.

The Disaster Of Distraction Having another route or two handy is great, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to suddenly focus all of one’s attention on a phone’s map application. And that’s just one of many distractions created by mobile devices. Distraction may be a bigger problem than even drunk driving, and when traffic is stopandgo, it’s tempting to let one’s mind wander to the array of apps, games, and contacts waiting within a phone. Pull off the road when it’s absolutely necessary to use a phone, and don’t rely on handsfree devices either; studies have shown these can be just as distracting as a handheld product.

Stop The StopAndGo When a vehicle idles in a single spot for minutes at a time, a driver tends to want to hit the gas the moment a little bit of space opens up in front of them. Then they end up braking mere seconds later, and if reaction time isn’t sufficient, an accident can take place. Rather than fall into this trap, increase speed slowly from a standstill, taking the time necessary to move forward. Should further application of the brakes be necessary, this gives a person time to stop slowly rather than abruptly, thereby decreasing the chance that a pursuing vehicle will rearend the automobile in the lead.

-Take Care Of Motorcyclists Even when automobile traffic is slowed or stopped, motorcycles are still able to weave between lanes thanks to their small size. The act known as lanesplitting
is actually legal within California, meaning that automobile drivers owe their twowheeled brethren a duty of care not to change lanes at an inopportune moment. Look twice for motorcycles before making a lane change.

-When All Else Fails, Get A New Car The latest model years of motor vehicles have systems that once seemed like something out of science fiction. Technology that detects when a vehicle is in a blind spot, identifies upcoming obstacles, and applies the brakes when necessary is available on many newer vehicles, and such things can prove invaluable in a traffic jam.

Discover why Binder & Associates has been a trusted name in Southern California for over 40 years. With experience in a variety of personal injury practice areas, including medical malpractice, automobile accidents, workers compensation claims, animal attacks, insurance bad faith, wrongful death, and more, Binder & Associates strives to provide trusted legal representation to all those who have been harmed by negligence. For more information about the firm’s work with California truck accident lawsuits, click here(http://binderassociates.com/motor-vehicle-accidents/trucking-accidents/).