These Split Second Decisions Could Lead To A New Haven Auto Accident

May 9, 2023
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When it all comes down to it, driving safely comes down to a series of small, split second decisions that either keep you safe or get you involved in a New Haven auto accident and could lead to your injury.  If you stop and think about it these decisions quite literally can be life or death.  So, it is important to know what decisions could be the most costly to your safety and how to avoid them.

We spend a lot of time talking about the dangers of speeding and before we get into these decisions it’s important to note the role that speed would play in how these decisions play out.  One of the biggest impacts speed has is that it makes you make your decisions while you’re driving faster.  It requires that you are not just making decisions quickly, but that you are making them while traveling at a high rate of speed which can make it harder to make the right decision.  Speeding has also been shown in study after study to make accidents more severe and often lead to fatalities when a car accident does occur.  It bears repeating that you should not be speeding and you should always obey the speed limit to keep yourself safe from harm and to also slow down these split second decisions that could put you in harms way.

If you’re driving safely your hands, eyes, mind and body will all be working together to assess the road conditions and to figure out how to best navigate busy streets.  Safe driving requires a variety of split second decisions to keep you safe, but there are three that are most important and critical to avoid an accident.

1.) Changing lanes.  Whether you’re on a busy Interstate or on a crowded city street, safely changing lanes can be one of the most important things you can do to avoid an accident.  In order to do this you should always signal that you will be changing lanes, you should use your side and rear view mirrors to give you an indication of what is happening around your vehicle and if your vehicle is equipped with safety notifications that will alert you to a nearby vehicle you should always listen when those alerts sound.  If you follow these steps you will be able to change lanes safely and without incident.

2.) Follow posted signs surrounding turns that are allowed or not allowed.  When you’re traveling on the highway it may be tempting to skip getting off at an exit and instead use a turnoff that are most often reserved for emergency vehicles to change directions, this can be illegal and also deadly.  If you’re on a city street you may be tempted to make a U-Turn at a traffic light or turn left when no left turn is allowed, this split second decision to try to save yourself a little bit of time can lead to deadly intersection accidents.

3.) Running intersections.  You may have had the experience of being on the road when there are very few cars on the road and coming to a red light to stop.  It may be tempting when you look around and see no other vehicles within sight to disobey the light and drive through it, this can be dangerous.  Running an intersection can be dangerous and lead to an accident.  It does not matter how many vehicles are on the road or if it “seems” safe to do so, you should always follow the street lights and only proceed when the light turns green.

Keeping your speed down will help to avoid any dangerous split second decisions that could lead to a New Haven auto accident and cause an injury or worse.  In a moment your life could change by a single split second decision when you’re driving and so you should make sure that you are doing everything in your power to make the right decision in the moment so you can remain safe.

If you do find yourself injured you may need to speak with someone who has experience with a situation like yours.  Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will speak with you about the particulars around your situation.