One of the most important skills you need to have as a driver is knowing how to avoid getting rear-ended. Rear end accidents are among the most dangerous. Even though the accident occurs at the back of your vehicle and may involve far less force than a head-on collision, the fact that you’re generally not going to be anticipating these accidents coming and the fact that they sometimes do involve one car moving very slowly or stopping and another moving at full speed make them particularly risky.
Watch Your Rearview
Your rearview mirror is one of the most important things in your car as far as avoiding getting rear-ended is concerned. Make sure you check your rearview mirror before you make a turn off of a busy street and before you stop. If you see a vehicle coming at you too quickly, anticipate that they may not actually stop in time to avoid slamming into you. Depending upon the situation you’re in, you may have the option of simply continuing on in a straight line to avoid getting hit or turning off of the road to let them by. As long as you don’t put anyone else in danger by doing it, take any action that’s safe and necessary to avoid getting hit.
Use Your Directionals
Use your direction signals whenever you’re making a turn. Most people will hear this advice and assume that it only applies to when they’re on the road. Use your direction signals in parking lots, too. Rear end accidents frequently occur in parking lots when people spontaneously stop in front of a parking spot they want, giving the driver behind them no warning.
Another thing you might want to try in addition to using your directionals is tapping your break as you are slowing down to make a turn off of a road. Make sure your brake lights flash at least a few times before you actually commit to slowing down and turning. This will give drivers behind you every opportunity to see that you’re about to slow down, stop or turn off the road and to make sure that they’re ready to slow down to accommodate that.
If you are hit by a driver in a rear end collision and it was because they were negligent, you should speak with an attorney. An attorney may be able to help you put together a lawsuit that could when you compensation from that driver.
