Broad-side accident injuries are oftentimes among the worst injuries that people sustain in car wrecks. These injuries frequently occur at intersections, when drivers are negligent in not obeying the traffic signals or when they try to run a yellow light or a fresh red light. There are some measures you can take to lessen the chances that these injuries will be as severe as they sometimes are.
If You Are Car Shopping
If you’re out shopping for a new car and you have the luxury of being very finicky about what you buy, look for a vehicle with side impact airbags. Newer vehicles sometimes have additional airbags that deploy over the windows. This gives you extra protection from shattered glass in a side impact. The air bags, of course, also give you additional protection from the force of the impact of another vehicle striking the door of yours.
Take a look at the safety record of vehicles that you are interested in. If they have poor ratings as far as being safe in side impact accidents, you may want to consider a different vehicle, particularly if you are using your vehicle to haul your children back and forth from school and other destinations.
When You’re Driving
Be wary when you are crossing an intersection, particularly right after the light has turned green. There are drivers out there who, whether it’s because they are not paying attention or because they simply don’t care, will go blazing through a yellow light or a fresh red light trying to shave a few extra seconds off of their trip time. If you happen to be out in the intersection right after a light turns green, you’re at a higher risk of being hit by such a driver.
You should also be wary when you are making left turns across the flow of traffic. This is one of the situations where you are at a particularly high risk of being struck by a driver broadside. If it takes you an extra second or two to time your turn, go ahead and take it to make certain that you are not pulling out in front of anyone and putting them at risk of striking you.
If a driver broadsides you out of pure negligence, make certain that you talk to an attorney about the matter. They may be able to help you by looking into filing a lawsuit as a way for you to get compensated for your injuries and property damage.
