How To Pass A Vehicle Safely Without Getting Into An Auto Accident

Whether you’re in a hurry or need to get into another lane on the highway there are a number of different reasons why you may want to pass a vehicle you are behind. The good news is there is a safe way to do this and you don’t need to be aggressive or over-zealous to do it. The bad news is that if you don’t do it correctly you may put yourself at risk of getting involved in a New Haven auto accident and putting yourself and your passengers in harms way.

Passing another vehicle can put you in a risky and dangerous position if you’re not doing it the right way. While you may be an experienced driver and are not focused on safety when you’re passing someone else who is sharing the road with you, you may be missing an opportunity to take the steps required to share the road with others in a safe manner. If you do follow the rules of passing you can do it safely and without incident and everyone on the road will be better off for that.

When thinking about passing another vehicle you should think about your move in terms of three steps. The first thing you should be thinking about is what you should do before passing. This is the moment when you set yourself up for a safe pass. You should look at the following things to make sure you are putting yourself in the right position.

1.) Check your mirrors and blind spots. Every vehicle has blind spots and if you aren’t familiar with yours you should become familiar with them. Make sure there is no traffic approaching from behind by using your mirrors and if your car is equipped with them cameras to assess the situation.

2.) Signal. You should always make sure that you are using your turn signals to let other drivers nearby what your intention is.

3.) Make sure there is a safe distance for you to pass. You will want to check that there is enough space between you and the car you are planning on passing, BEFORE you start to pass that vehicle.

Once you have done all of the preliminary checking about your surroundings and have used all the tools necessary to make sure it is safe to pass you will want to take a couple of other things into account when you are actually passing the vehicle in front of you.

1.) Keep a steady speed. If there is a need for you to pass the vehicle in front of you, you shouldn’t need to excessively speed to get past them. You should be able to travel at a slightly elevated speed, but not at a dangerous level.

2.) Do not cut off the vehicle in front of you. You will want to make sure you are taking all the precautions you are able to take to make sure that the driver of the vehicle you are passing is aware of where you are and what your next move is going to be.

3.) If it’s not safe to pass, wait. Don’t pass just because you got it into your mind that you should pass the vehicle in front of you. Situations change and if they do, you should change your mind and wait until conditions are safer to pass.

Finally, the last step in the pass is after passing. There are a couple of important things you should do after passing the vehicle that you are attempting to get around and if you follow these you will get through the passing safely and without incident.

1.) Don’t forget you will need to signal your return. Once you have passed the vehicle in front of you you will need to get back over into the lane that you were originally in. You want to take precautions to make sure the vehicle you passed sees you and knows you will be returning to your lane. This can be done by once again using your turn signals.

2.) For the second time you will want to check blind spots and use your mirrors to make sure you are clear to move back over into the lane you left when trying to pass.

Passing on the highway can happen quickly and following these steps will help insure that you are not just weaving in and out of traffic without a concern for safety. If you follow the steps above all the way through the process you will be going a long way to making sure that you do not get into a New Haven auto accident and put you or your passengers at risk of getting injured or causing any property damage. The bottom line here is if you need to pass, you can do it safely and accomplish what you are trying to accomplish without incident.

Whatever the circumstances are surrounding an accident you may need to speak with an attorney who has experience with the type of situation you are experiencing. Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will review your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.