Lawrence Nordhoff, Jr., D.C., accident reconstructionist and author of two texts on vehicle collisions makes the following suggestions for that split second when you see the car approaching:
1. ?Tighten up and brace yourself holding on firmly to the ten o'clock and two o'clock position of the steering wheel.?
The idea of remaining loose and relaxed is wrong! Contracted muscles protect the bones, discs, ligaments and nerves.
2. ?Keep your wrists flat, not bent,? to prevent wrist injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
3. ?Face forward, look straight ahead and sit squarely against the back of your seat.? Never allow passengers to bend forward in airbag-equipped cars. If you are about to be rear-ended, press your head firmly against the headrest.
4. ?When stopped, keep an eye on your rear view mirror.? You have a better chance of not being injured if you're aware of the oncoming collision.
According to Dr. Nordhoff, the average person will be in a car collision once every ten years. Practice these four points upon entering your car will make them ?instinctual? when the situation arises. Before the ?big day? there are a few things to keep in mind.
1. ?Buy Big! Size counts!?
Gas economy is great for our environment and small cars look cute, but when you're watching an S.U.V. drive into the back of your Hyundai, you'll wish you had a Suburban.
2. Sit at least 6? from the steering wheel to avoid serious injury caused by the airbag crushing into your chest. If you're too short, get pedal extenders.
3. The headrest must contact the area just above your ears. Most are set too low and act as karate chop when you're struck from behind.
4. Never place the shoulder harness behind your back. This puts the stress on the lap belt causing spinal cord injuries. If you're large breasted, use a shoulder strap cushion such as lambs wool.
5. Put a cushion on the glass in old pick-up trucks whose rear window acts as the head restraint.
6. Changed seatbelts every 10 years and after major car accidents.
7. Service and check the ABS (antilock braking system) every time you change your pads (must be requested).
8. Do not pump your ABS! This can cause your car to flip over. Just hold the brakes to the floor. It will naturally grab, grind and feel jerky but it is supposed to do this. Practice the feel of abrupt braking in a vacant lot.
9. Carry high ?med pay? coverage (minimum $25,000). It's fairly inexpensive and will free you from having to sue your insurance company to have your treatment covered.
Accidents are nearly inevitable so share this information. It may lead to a more ?pleasant? accident experience.
When you're injured, ALWAYS have yourself evaluated at my office so that your alignment can be returned to a healthy and normal function?not just temporarily pain-free. Often the effects of an accident don't fully reveal themselves for months and sometimes years later (when the degenerative changes develop). We make certain to check for their signs and usually prevent them from developing.
No one wishes to be involved in a car accident, but if it happens, you have to know some basic road accident advice. This is simply because of the fact that you will probably be involved in at least one accident throughout your lifetime. At least, that's what the numbers say. The following is a set of recommendations if you ever have to go through a car accident.
Anyway, the first thing you need to do is to immediately stop at the scene. Not doing this is called "hit and run", and it's a criminal offense. After you stop your vehicle, check yourself and the other passengers in your car (if any) for injuries. If everything is OK, get out of your vehicle and do the same thing with the other persons involved in the accident. If anyone has visible health problems, make sure that you call an ambulance, telling them the exact location of the accident.
Then, you must inform the police. If the accident is serious, you must do it right away. If it's minor, you must do it in a 24 hours interval. After doing this, you must start collecting data about the accident. In the heat of the moment, many drivers forget to do this crucial step, and later find themselves regretting it.
Take a piece of paper and a pen and start writing everything down. Details are very important, and you must record them while they are still fresh in your mind. Start with the other driver(s) involved in the accident. Take their details: name, address and phone number. If there are any witnesses present at the scene, do the same thing with them too. Also, don't forget to provide everyone whose details you take with your own.
Then, write down everything else about the accident. Note the weather conditions at the time of the event. Note the exact location of the event. Write down the time of the accident and the visibility (clear, foggy). Also, if the accident happened inside a town, take note of there is proper lighting (in the case that the accident happened at night, of course). Write down the models and the colors of the cars involved, as well as the damage they sustained.
If you are lucky enough to have a photo camera at you, it's better. If not, ask everybody present at the scene for one. Take pictures of every little detail you can think of. These pieces of evidence may prove to be very important later, in case you want to get road accident compensation.
You can also assist the police with all the data you managed to collect. Also, you can make yourself useful by taking care of the possible injured persons or by calming other people down, making sure that they don't make the situation even worse.
If the accident wasn't your fault, you can request compensation. There are basically two ways to do this. Getting compensation solely from your insurance company or hiring a road accident specialist who will professionally handle the claim for you. The former is recommendable for minor losses, while the latter is for more serious injuries and damage situations.
If you consider that the losses you suffered are minor and there isn't any point in contacting a lawyer, then the first thing you need to do when you get home is to call your insurance company. If, however, your losses are more severe, then you should contact an attorney who will guide you through the process of claiming compensation.
The attorney is more advisable in serious cases. That's because he will manage to get the biggest compensation possible in your case, while the insurance company will probably try to give you the minimum amount. Being represented by a lawyer also saves you time for recovery, because he will attend to almost all matters regarding the case. You will only have to go to periodical medical examinations, as an assessment of your injuries and their consequences in time is a must. That will help you get the compensation you deserve.
However, my hope is that you will never have to go through all these. But the big number of road accidents is a reality, and when or if it happens, you must know what to do. You must stay calm and not panic. The more you manage to do that and follow the simple car accident advice I've given you, the better.
Both Dr. Rick Morris & Ray La Foy are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Dr. Rick Morris has sinced written about articles on various topics from Get Ex Back, Health and Web Development. Dr. Rick Morris is the founder of the The Morris Spinal Stenosis and Disc Center in Santa Monica, Ca. You can read more of his health articles or contact him at his website and find out about his. Dr. Rick Morris's top article generates over 880 views. to your Favourites.
Ray La Foy has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Improvement, Software and Parenting. Car accident tips and advice. Ray La Foy's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.