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Maybe the hardest part of your day isn’t tackling your job to the best of your ability. Instead, it’s the dreaded commute. The morning commute can actually be the most challenging aspect of a worker’s daily routine and can cause high anxiety due to the constant threat of a bad car accident.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the number of Americans with a commute of over 90 minutes per day is increasing. While this statistic was recorded pre-COVID-19 Pandemic, it’s only a matter of time until those same people will be back on the road again and facing the same challenges. Unfortunately, many of them will get into bad car accidents that result in injury which will require time away from the job and a sudden decline in badly needed weekly income.
If you are involved in an accident that causes you injury, no matter how severe, you need to contact a lawyer who specializes in auto injury as soon as possible. You might be at fault or the person driving the car who hit you might be at fault. But one thing is for certain, you need legal protection. Go online and do your research. YouTube has a series of videos on the subject of auto accidents. The Barnes Firm commercials on YouTube provide helpful information about car accidents, auto insurance, and auto accident litigation situations.
But just how dangerous is your morning commute? Here’s a few reality bites that just might you think twice before getting behind the wheel with a smartphone in one hand, and a cup of coffee in the other.
The Freeway/Highway Commute
Freeway and highway commutes are said to be “particularly dangerous.” With roads made up of multiple lanes and fast speeds, impatient motorists tend to make abrupt lane changes without using their directional. They also will pass you from the right-hand “blind side” lane rather than the more appropriate left-hand, “passing” lane, which can cause a serious car wreck. In order to keep yourself safe during a freeway commute, you can’t be texting or eating a breakfast sandwich. You need to be alert and vigilant to the high-speed dangers all around you.
But you must also keep in mind that while the morning commute can be dangerous, the evening commute is no different. You’ve spent all day working and you might be exhausted. Or perhaps your eyes might be tired on top of poor visibility due to bad weather. You might have experienced something that upset you during the day and your mind might be wandering when suddenly, a truck or a van suddenly cuts you off when you least expect it, causing a bad accident.
What this means is, no matter what time of day you are commuting on the freeway, you must always be alert and aware of other, erratic drivers attempting assertive driving moves. Friday evenings are said to experience the largest numbers of accidents due to people rushing to Happy Hour at the local bar, or home for the weekend, or to a second weekend home.
Badly Planned and/or Maintained Intersections
Poorly engineered intersections can be a real problem for distracted drivers. Jaywalkers, hidden stop and yield signs, plus malfunctioning traffic lights can all contribute to potential car wrecks. When approaching any intersection, including railroad intersections, you should always slow down and check both ways before proceeding.
Distractions While Driving
Drivers who face long commutes of an hour or more every morning and evening tend to get bored and distracted. This can be a recipe for disaster. Some people are so bored with the same commute day in and day out, they hardly even recall the drive since their minds tend to wander rather than staying focused on the road. Distracted driving is said to be one of the most common reasons for a driver being charged with negligence in a bad accident.
Stop-and-Go Traffic
When traffic gets congested either from too many vehicles on the road or from an accident in progress, the all too common frustrating condition of stop-and-go traffic occurs. A sudden traffic slowdown can be a dangerous situation since impatient drivers attempt to overcome the unanticipated delay by merging in and out of lanes, or they will drive along the soft shoulder, or even speed through parking lots as a short cut.
These reckless maneuvers can cause lethal car accidents. Adding to the danger, stop-and-go traffic encourages bored and frustrated drivers to use their smartphones further adding to their distracted state. These drivers can be just as dangerous as the drivers speeding in and out of lanes.
At the End of the Road
The morning and evening commute can be a hectic, dangerous time to be on the road. But it doesn’t have to be all that dangerous if you pay strict attention to everything that is going on all around you. But remember, if you should happen to be the victim of an accident, and are injured, you need to contact a lawyer specializing in accident claims. You need to be compensated for the work you will no longer be able to perform either on a temporary basis, or permanently.
