How To Avoid Accidents

By keeping a few safety tips in mind, you can increase your chances of avoiding an accident.
Being prepared --- Watch carefully what's happening on the road ahead of you so that you can be prepared to take evasive action if necessary to avoid an accident. A good rule of thumb is to be looking about one block ahead at city driving speeds and about one-fifth of a mile ahead at highway speeds.
Keeping a safe distance --- Keep enough distance between your car and the one ahead of you so that you can always stop safely. Experts advise determining the safe distance by using the following method:
Watch the car ahead of you as it passes a reference point, such as a shadow on the highway.
Then count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand- two." If you pass the same spot before you finish counting, you're following too closely.
Avoiding tailgaters --- Get out of the path of tailgating drivers whenever possible. If you're driving on a multilane highway, slow down and allow the other driver to pass on your left.
Being aware of distracted drivers --- Be careful of drivers who are talking or looking frequently to the side since they may make sudden movements.
Looking out for parked cars --- Observe cars parked along the roadway. They may not see you and might suddenly drive out in front of you. Or, they may open the car door into your path, or step out in front of your car.
Keeping away from erratic drivers --- Stay out of the path of a car that is weaving --- the driver could be drunk or sleepy.
Watch for poor road conditions --- When the weather is bad --- raining, snowing or icy --- it will take you longer to stop, it may be difficult for you to steer your car, and your visibility will be cut down. You can help reduce your chances of having an accident by slowing down, leaving extra space between you and the car ahead of you, and keeping your windshield clear.

Here's how you can recover ---If your car skids, a tire blows out or your wheels drop onto the shoulder, knowing how to react could save you from injury. Here are a few pointers to help you recover ---
from a skid --- Don't panic and don't touch the brake pedal. Take your foot off the accelerator, keep a firm grip on the steering wheel and steer the vehicle in the direction of the skid. This technique applies to both front- and rear-wheel drive cars.
from a blowout --- React as you would in a skid. Remember that saving yourself is much more important than saving the tire.
when your wheels drop off the pavement and onto the shoulder of the road --- if the shoulder is only slightly lower than the pavement, recovery should be easy. After you have eased off the gas, steer so that your car straddles the pavement's edge. Then turn the steering wheel until the right front tire is on the pavement's edge and countersteer as necessary to steer straight down the roadway.

If the shoulder is much lower than the pavement, be extremely cautious. In general follow the pro- cedures noted above. But, if the front tire rubs against the side of the pavement, DO NOT increase the angle of steering --- with too much angle, your car may jump back onto the roadway with such force that you will veer into another lane before you are able to bring the car under control. Instead, ease off the gas and try again until you find a spot where you can re-enter the roadway safely.
If you need to brake to avoid an accident: Avoid slamming on the brakes --- the wheels could lock up and the car could skid. Instead, "squeeze" the brake --- apply pedal pressure, then release the brake slightly and "squeeze" the brake again. This method will help you maintain steering control and may help you drive around the problem if there is not enough stopping distance.