The Washington State Patrol reports that a crash recently occurred on Interstate 90 that resulted in the death of a motor vehicle driver. The accident occurred when the driver's vehicle entered an oncoming lane of traffic and struck a semi-truck. While the smaller vehicle ended up in a ditch, the semi-truck was much less damaged. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that there were 45,500 fatal accidents reported to the police in 2012. 

The following are some critical safety precautions that drivers can take to avoid being involved in motor vehicle accidents.  

Raise Your Gaze

Many people only look at the vehicle directly ahead of them while driving, but it is a better practice to look several vehicles ahead of you. You should also make sure to look in your vehicle's rearview mirrors every few seconds to see if anything potentially dangerous can be noticed behind you. 

Use the Three Second Rule

It is critical to always be prepared for a vehicle traveling ahead of you to suddenly slow down or stop. The best way to make sure that you are traveling a safe distance behind other vehicles is to select a certain point that is even with the vehicle traveling in front of you. If you reach the location before counting to three, you are driving too closely to the other vehicle. In adverse weather conditions, it is a wise idea to increase this distance even further to account for skidding.

Never Focus on the Target

If you are driving and seem likely to end up in an accident, it is a wise idea to avoid focusing on the obstacle that you are attempting to swerve around. Instead, it is a better idea to focus on how to escape this object's path. If it is impossible to avoid hitting something, it is critical to remember that it is almost always better to strike something that a vehicle can either push down or over rather than sturdier objects like telephone poles and trees.

Enter a Slide

It is important to remember that you should always turn into a slide because vehicles have an easier time turning than stopping. This means that if you enter a slide, you should take your foot off the brake, enter in the direction of a slide, and steer the vehicle to avoid any potential obstacles.

Monitor Tire Pressure

Tire blowouts can occur suddenly and result in deadly accidents. The best way to avoid these accidents is to monitor a vehicle's tire pressure several times a month. While this often means learning how to monitor tire pressure by hand, some newer vehicles are equipped with sensors that monitor the tires' pressure.

Contact a Skilled Spokane Accident Attorney

Even if you follow each of these steps, it is impossible to eliminate the risk of being involved in a deadly car accident. If you or a loved one has been impacted by a car accident, do not hesitate to speak with an accident attorney at West Law Office.