Only You Can Prevent North Carolina Car Accidents… and Here is a Novel Way You Can Do So!

July 14, 2011, by Michael A. DeMayo

Policy discussions about how to tamp down on the rates of North Carolina car, truck, motorcycle accidents inevitably return to tired themes, including:

• Always wear seatbelts, motorcycle safety helmets, etc
• Keep your car tuned up and in good working condition
• Avoid driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, medications, while fatigued, etc
• Obey the speed limit and other posted signs
• Pay attention to other drivers out there
• Avoid talking on the cell phone, text messaging, getting distracted by rubbernecking, etc

As Dr. Phil might ask, “how are these working out for you?”

The reality is: we need novel, more powerful solutions.

Here’s a potentially revolutionary strategy that, if successfully deployed and followed, might drive down the rate of North Carolina accidents, injuries, and fatalities.

It involves one simple directive: Pay attention. A lot of attention.

Here is the thinking. Statistics confirm that when drivers are tired, distracted by text messages, blasting the radio, and rubbernecking, etc., their performance behind the wheel suffers. They delay hitting the brakes. They have a slower time anticipating surprising events on the road. Their judgment is weakened. Hence, authorities instruct us to follow the rules described in the first paragraph. But if that’s all true – if distraction makes us worse drivers – why not go to the opposite extreme and pay extreme amounts of attention to your driving?
In other words:
• turn off the radio
• never listen to the radio or CDs
• don’t have conversations with passengers
• don’t even allow your mind to wander, thinking about conversations, emails you have to write, fights you just had, etc.
• Instead, treat the driving experience like you might treat your first time flying solo on a Cessna aircraft. Give it your total and complete attention.
Imagine if every single driver on the roads got into a habit of doing all this. The price would be small: You couldn’t chat or think about other stuff behind the wheel: kind of inconvenient. But imagine the benefits! The principle that “the less distracted you are, the better driver you are” could yield phenomenal improvements, even if only a small percentage of drivers did this. Imagine if only 10% of drivers were “totally aware.” It would radically reshape our driving habits in a very positive way.

Of course, we all live in a real world, and we have real world considerations. If you have been hurt in an accident – or someone you care about was hurt or killed – you may need smart legal assistance to navigate a strategic course of action. Discuss your concerns with a North Carolina car accident law firm today to regain control over your life, finances, and circumstances.

More Web Resource:

distracted driving

less distraction = far, far safer driving