The Fort Myers area certainly has its fair share of truck crashes. In a recent one, a trucker failed to notice slow and stopped traffic in front of him. Despite the trucker’s last-minute evasive maneuvers, the semi jackknifed and collided with a car. While the truck driver sustained only minor injuries, the car’s driver and two passengers suffered serious ones.
After citing the trucker for careless driving, troopers reminded all motorists of their obligation to drive safely for road conditions. Specifically, they noted the importance of putting away smartphones, reducing speed, turning on lights and maintaining a smart following distance.
1. Putting away smartphones
To keep motorists, passengers, pedestrians and others safe, Florida law prevents drivers from using handheld communications devices. Still, there are other types of distracted driving all motorists should avoid. These include the following:
- Manual distractions, when the driver takes his or her hands off the steering wheel
- Visual distractions, when the driver diverts his or her eyes from the driving task
- Mental distractions, when the driver does not pay attention to the road
2. Reducing speed
If you want to avoid a costly speeding ticket, it is important always to comply with posted speed limits. Nevertheless, it may be unsafe to drive posted speeds during fog, rain or other inclement weather. The same is true if you are driving in congested traffic.
3. Turning on lights
When skies are gray or rain is falling, it can be difficult for other drivers to see your vehicle. You can instantly improve your vehicle’s visibility by turning on your headlights, though.
4. Maintain a smart following distance
Tailgating is not only rude, but it is also dangerous. To decrease your chances of having a rear-end collision, maintain a smart following distance. In most situations, this means leaving three seconds between you and the car in front of you. In bad weather, however, allowing additional space may be a good idea.
When you maintain a safe following distance, you usually do not have to worry about colliding with stopped or slow-moving traffic. By taking a few other simple steps, you have a complete strategy for staying safe on the road.
