Many of the West Virginia car accident cases I handle at Warner Law Offices are the result of collisions where a negligent driver crashes into the rear-end of the car traveling in front of him or her. Serious injuries can result from these types of crashes, including neck, back, shoulder, knee and head trauma.
There are certain steps a driver can do to prevent causing a rear-end collision and certain things a driver can do to help prevent from being struck from behind by another driver.
Tailgating
First, in order to prevent rear-ending another car, avoid following the vehicle in front of you too closely. “Tailgating” is not only unsafe for the driver and passengers in front of you, but also for you and the passengers in your car. A safe following distance will allow you to stop your car in time, if the car in front of you must suddenly come to a stop.
Texting
Also, avoid texting, making phone calls or doing anything that distracts you from paying close attention to what is going on in front of you. It is your responsibility to keep an eye on what is happening in front of your vehicle. Of course, when rain, ice or snow is present on the roadway, always increase your following distance to account for the conditions.
Maintain Your Awareness
Next, in order to help prevent being struck by someone traveling behind you, be constantly aware of what is going on around you, as sudden braking may increase your chances of being struck.
Reduce Your Speed
When traveling in high traffic areas, school zones, neighborhoods, parks where children may be playing or downtown areas, reduce your speed and show your brake lights in order to indicate that you may be forced to make a sudden stop. Also, if you notice that you are being tailgated or are being followed by someone who is on their cell phone or is clearly texting, safely change lanes and let that driver go ahead of you.
Unfortunately, you can’t always avoid being injured by someone else’s negligence, so if you or someone you know has been involved in a rear-end collision caused by a negligent driver, please call Warner Law Offices to speak with me or another attorney in order to protect your rights.