10 Tips for Safe Summer Driving

June 01, 2017, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Summer and long road trips often go hand in hand in Ontario. Just like with winter driving, there are some things to take into consideration before heading off for a road trip.

When we think of ‘serious’ car accidents, we often think night time driving, raining/snowy weather. Perhaps impaired driving. Few of us give thought to serious crashes on clear sunny days that have seemingly perfect road conditions. The facts are, however, that car accident rates increase dramatically on bright sunny days. In fact, life0threatening car accidents are more likely to occur.

Physicians at Sunnybrook hospital have done a long-term study (20 years) on every person admitted to the hospital after a car accident. They then checked the weather and time of day of each accident, along with the location of the crash and the results were surprising. They found that the majority of life-threatening car accidents happened in the day light hours, and the risk of such accidents increased as the brightness of the sun did. It appears that you are 16% more likely to be in a life-threatening crash on a bright and sunny day.

The researchers believe that on bright summer days most drivers assume that the roads are in great shape and they tend to drive faster. What drivers aren’t accounting for is the increase in pedestrian, cyclist, and other car traffic on the roads. Drivers also tend to be more distracted from the driving task itself than, for example, during a winter storm or icy road conditions.

Road safety experts agree that there are certain easy steps to take to lessen your chances of being in a serious car accident:

1. Don’t drink and drive.
2. Don’t speed.
3. Put your phone away.
4. Keep your eyes on the road.
5. Check your shoulder and blind spots for cyclists, pedestrians, and motor cyclists.
6. Check your mirrors often for motorcyclists.
7. Wear your seatbelt.
8. Maintain a safe distance from other traffic.
9. Don’t be in a hurry to pass, particularly on two lane roads.
10. Keep an eye out for farm traffic that travels slowly and may use more than one lane of a road.

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

It is important that you review your accident benefit file with one of our experienced personal injury / car accident lawyers to ensure that you obtain access to all your benefits which include, but are limited to, things like physiotherapy, income replacement benefits, vocational retraining and home modifications.