Driving is something that gradually becomes second nature to many; it’s something done so often that many people don’t spend too much time thinking about it. Despite this, driving is an activity that can drastically alter the course of your life and the lives of those you come in contact with on the road. There are things you need to be doing to protect yourself, your passengers, and those you drive past. The following will explore some legal tips that you might want to keep in mind when you’re on the road. The emphasis will be on the ways that road incidents are perceived by the law, as this can help you determine how to react should you run into trouble on the road.
Follow The Laws
First and foremost, you are required to follow the laws of the road. You likely know these rules (if you don’t give yourself a refresher before getting on the road), but there are many other elements of driving safely and protecting yourself legally while driving.
Understand Your Duties
When you get into a car and pull out onto the road, you have responsibilities. According to a Newport Beach car accident lawyer, these responsibilities include driving at a reasonable speed, remaining alert, staying in control of your vehicle, and ensuring that your vehicle is well maintained. If these four duties are not met, you can be found to be at fault in any car accident or road incident that arises. If you do not feel confident that you can meet these responsibilities, you should not drive.
It’s worth noting that there are far-reaching implications of these duties that need to be considered. Take remaining alert, for instance. Most people understand that this includes not driving while exhausted, not driving while medicated with medications that cause drowsiness or slow reaction time, and not driving while intoxicated. Alert driving also includes not driving while emotional. This means that if you’ve just received bad news like a death in your family or friend group, if you’ve just gone through a breakup, or you’ve just been informed that you’ve lost your job, you might not be in the right condition for driving. You might be distracted and find your mind wandering back to the source of your pain. This also means not having food or drinks or cellphones drawing your attention away from the road.
Save Your Maintenance Receipts And Records
Another thing you can do to help protect yourself is to keep a copy of all your receipts and records associated with your vehicle’s maintenance. Things that you handle yourself, like oil changes or tire inflation, can be noted down in an app on your phone. You can present this information to your legal guidance should there be an incident on the road.
Social Media Is Not Your Friend
No matter what happens on the road, no matter who’s at fault, no matter how much pain and suffering has been created, posting about any legal situation on social media can end up doing more harm than good. Anything you post, comment, like, share, engage with, or follow can be used against you by insurance companies or by law enforcement. If you have been involved in a car accident or road incident, stay away from social media altogether unless specifically directed by your lawyer. Likewise, do not turn to social media for legal advice. There is a mess of educated and professional people and trolls and troublemakers online, and it’s incredibly hard to figure out who is who in a comment section.
Always Speak To A Lawyer
No matter how big or small a road incident was, it is always in your best interest to speak to a lawyer before speaking to an insurance company or giving a statement to law enforcement. This is within your rights and can end up saving you money and protecting you legally. In many instances, once you pursue one course of action, you are forfeiting the right to pursue other courses of action. You want to speak to a legal professional before you lock yourself into one particular type of claim or response. This is particularly important to keep in mind as insurance companies tend to put pressure on people to take the least expensive route, regardless of whether that is in their best interest.
The above information should help you understand the legal implications of your choices and actions on the road. Of course, every car accident is unique, and this means that for the most accurate information about your particular situation, it’s always best to speak to an experienced attorney who specialises in the type of law you’re dealing with.