The features that come standard in new cars would have seemed downright futuristic when your parents first got their driver’s licenses. Sure, cars today are not cheap, but nothing is cheap these days. Consider that, when your parents learned to drive, a hamburger at McDonald’s cost 29 cents. Yes, these safety features are helpful in preventing collisions and reducing the risk of serious injury when someone else crashes into your car. They are no substitute for your own caution, though.
Furthermore, the safety features in your car that keep you the safest are the ones that you take for granted; you could not imagine cars without them. Despite this, the safety features that a car has or does not have can affect the amount of money you can get from a car accident claim, as does your car’s state of maintenance at the time of the accident. If you drive an old clunker and you get injured in a car accident, contact a Houma car accident lawyer.
Buckle Up Even if Your Car Has Airbags
Car airbag technology has made strides over the past few decades. In the 1980s, there was little to protect you from sharp, protruding pieces of metal or from your car’s steering column if you got into a collision. In the newest cars, multiple airbags inflate around every seat in the car if that part of the car gets hit. Of course, the airbags can only provide the maximum protection if the vehicle occupant is wearing a seatbelt.
In fact, seatbelts prevent more deaths and catastrophic injuries than any other motor vehicle safety feature. Furthermore, your prognosis is better after an accident if you are wearing a seatbelt but your car does not have airbags than it does if your airbags deploy but you are not wearing a seatbelt.
Be Cautious Even if Your Car Has Driver Assist Technology
The beeps and flashing lights of today’s cars alert you if you are too close to an obstacle while you are driving or getting into or out of a parking space, and the rear-facing cameras have been a boon to mailboxes everywhere. Even the most vigilant vehicle cannot save you from yourself though. You can only avoid the obstacle if you brake or steer your car out of the way when it tells you to.
Drive Slowly in Bad Weather, Even if Your Car Has State of the Art Tires
Some people spend a lot of money on tires that can withstand the worst weather that Louisiana has to offer, and tires that are in good shape enable you to prevent hazards that worn-out tires would expose you to. When driving on wet or icy roads, driving slowly is the best option, no matter the condition of your tires.
Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey About Car Accident Cases
A car accident lawyer can help you get the money you need after an accident, even if your car does not have fancy features. Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey in Houma, Louisiana to set up a consultation about your case.
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