You never know when you’ll drive your vehicle into a traffic jam. Even if you try to avoid this, there are times when you have no choice.
As frustrating as it may be to drive in heavy traffic, you don’t want to do anything that will increase the odds of being involved in a motor vehicle accident.
Here are five things you can do to drive more safely in a traffic jam:
- Don’t weave from lane to lane. Choose your lane and stay in it until you reach your exit or turn.
- Use your turn signal. If you must change lanes or make a turn, put your turn signal on in advance.
- Use your mirrors. You want to know what’s going on around you at all times, and using your mirrors is the best way to stay informed.
- Don’t let technology distract you. When traffic slows it’s easy to turn your attention to your GPS, radio and smartphone. Just because you’re moving slowly doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention to the road.
- Maintain a safe following distance. As a general rule of thumb, three seconds between you and the vehicle ahead of you is safe.
Even if you follow these safety tips, you could still be part of an accident with another vehicle. This often happens when another person is driving negligently.
If the worst happens, immediately pull your car out of traffic, check yourself for injuries and call 911. Then you can receive medical treatment, file an insurance claim and consider the best way to hold the driver responsible for their actions.