In personal injury cases, a motor vehicle accident (MVA) is the number one cause of injury, making up for 52% of cases, according to Fox. While they can sometimes be unavoidable, you still have to do your part. Here are some of the top safe driving tips and the statistics behind them from personal injury attorneys.

1. Keep Your Distance

Keeping around a two-second distance between you and the car in front of you helps prevent rear-end collisions from following too closely. A general rule of thumb is to keep 100 feet of distance for every 10 miles per hour you're moving. If the car slams on its brakes, you'll have enough space to come to a stop without crashing into them.

2. Lower Your Distractions

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported in 2019 that about 280,000 injuries and 3,140 deaths were attributed to distracted driving out of the 920,000 accidents that occur each year in the United States. Some ways to keep yourself from being distracted are to put your cell phone out of reach, drive slowly and carefully, have both of your hands on the steering wheel, and don't multitask while you are driving.

3. Get Defensive

To drive defensively means seeing what potential problems could happen around you, being aware of those conditions, and being ready to avoid them. NHTSA states that there is a deadly DUI crash every 51 minutes and more than 10,000 people die every year in DUI crashes. If you see that someone is swerving ahead of you, be on high alert. Always be proactive in your driving and be ready for the worst-case scenario.

4. Prepare a Safe Driving Plan

What is a safe driving plan? Some items on a safe driving checklist would include checking the tire pressure and the tire for leaks, keeping your mirrors adjusted to the correct sight line, making sure your auto has its fluids filled, scheduling breaks periodically for long road trips, and making sure that the lights and turn signals are all in working order. Safe driving plans are really a way to ensure you are safely operating your vehicle. Some more safe driving tips include making sure any cargo is secured and won't be moving around, keeping your seat belt fastened, and keeping proper distances from other vehicles on the road.

5. Don't Speed

The Electronics Research and Service Organization (ERSO) conducted research that states that your chances of wrecking go up 5% for every mile over the speed limit you drive. In fact, 26% of all accidents are caused by speeding, according to the NHTSA, with 25 people dying every day from one. Lowering your speed can help reduce these accidents and keep you on the road.

Weather also plays a key role in speeding accidents. According to the NHTSA, 16% of reported vehicle accidents are on dry roads, 39% are on roads with snow or ice, and 40% of the reports cited moving water on the roads. When the weather is rough, keep your speed under the speed limit to lower your chance of accident and injury.

6. Wear Your Seat Belt

Wearing your seat belt from the beginning of your journey can help cut down on accidents and help your survival odds should you be in a collision. The NHTSA reports that 15,000 people are alive thanks to a seat belt in 2017, where 2,549 people died who would have lived had they had a seat belt on.

Seat belts keep you in place, so your chances of being thrown from the vehicle are significantly lower. They also help keep you from traumatic airbag injuries by keeping you secured to your seat in a crash. According to the NHTSA, just wearing your seat belt the correct way without altering the buckle and fastener can lower your serious injury risk by 45%.

These tips are great if you haven't been in a motor vehicle accident, but if you have already crashed and need a personal injury accident attorney, Ianniello Chauvin, LLP is here to help. We can talk with you about your injuries and your outlook and get your case prepared. We know about accidents, and we're experts at getting you what you're rightfully owed. Call or come by our office today to speak with someone about your potential case.