As you're setting resolutions for the new year, resolving to be a better driver should make the list. This is especially pressing in light of the fact that over the past few years, the number of fatal car accidents across the state has actually increased, with 568 fatal crashes reported in 2017, compared with 558 in 2016, 507 in 2015, and 451 in 2014.
Being a safer driver reduces the risk of a collision; of injury to yourself, your passengers, or any others on the road; and the risk of a traffic ticket, insurance claim, or rise in insurance premiums. Here's a list of some things that you can do in 2018 to be a more responsible, safer driver.
Put Your Cellphone Away
Cellphones and other handheld devices continue to be a top cause of driver distraction and accidents, with Distraction.gov reporting that distracted driving claimed more than 3,470 lives in a single year alone. If you are operating a motor vehicle, make sure your phone is out of sight and out of mind. This may mean putting your phone in a location where you can neither reach nor see it, or using apps that block incoming texts and calls while your car is in motion.
Slow Your Speed
Another top cause of accidents in Colorado is speeding, with speed being a contributing factor to nearly one-third of accidents that occurred across the country in the year 2016, as reported by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.Not only does speeding increase the risk of a crash, as the faster a vehicle is traveling, the harder it is to control and the more time that is required for it to stop, but it also increases the severity of damages should a crash occur. Reducing your speed can save your life, particularly when conditions are less than ideal (i.e. wet roads, poor visibility, and more).
Never Drink and Drive
Despite efforts to combat drunk driving by the NHTSA and other organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), alcohol continues to play a role in the number of injury and fatal crashes that occur every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) share data highlighting that in 2015, there were more than 10,000 people killed in alcohol-impaired driver crashes. This does not reflect the number of people who were injured (but not killed), nor the number of alcohol-related crashes that occurred.
What Else Would You Add to the List?
Speeding, drinking and driving, and using a cellphone are three big killers on Colorado roadways. In addition to avoiding the above, we hope that you will always follow traffic laws, refrain from aggressive driving or acts of road rage, ensure your vehicle is well-maintained and regularly serviced, and always wear your seatbelt.
If you were involved in a crash, our lawyers at the law offices of Anderson Hemmat will be by your side to help you recover compensation for your injuries. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with our law firm, please call us directly, or send us a message using the contact form found on our website.
- Comprehensive Insurance in Colorado: What it is and why is it important?
- Maximize Your Colorado Motorcycle Accident Settlement
- Hiring a Bike Accident Attorney Denver: What You Need to Know
- Jason Alleman Accepts CTLA's Legal Professionalism Award
- Appeals Court Orders Judge to Reconsider Drastic Reduction of Record Wrongful Death Verdict
DENVER HEADQUARTERS
Denver Injury Lawyers
Phone - (303) 782-9999
Phone - (888) 492-6342
Fax - (303) 782-9996
Denver Law Office
5613 DTC Parkway Suite 700
Denver, CO 80111
Get directions
Request a free consultation
We would be honored to meet with you and consider your case. Call us at (303) 782-9999 or submit your case information below for prompt response.
COLORADO SPRINGS OFFICE
Colorado Springs Injury Lawyers
Phone - (719) 575-9999
Phone - (888) 492-6342
Colorado Springs Law Office
102 South Tejon Street, #1100
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Get directions
View all locationsAreas We Serve
Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, Lakewood, Thornton, Arvada, Westminster, Greeley, Pueblo, Centennial, Boulder, Highlands Ranch, Longmont, Castle Rock, Loveland, Broomfield, Grand Junction, Commerce City, Parker, Littleton, Brighton, Windsor, Security-Widefield, Northglenn, Erie, Pueblo West, Englewood, Dakota Ridge, Ken Caryl, Wheat Ridge, Lafayette, Fountain, Columbine, Evans, Four Square Mile, Montrose, Louisville, Golden, Durango, Johnstown, Clifton, Sherrelwood, Cimarron Hills, Firestone, Fort Carson, Frederick, CaƱon City, Welby, Greenwood Village, Castle Pines, Black Forest, Lone Tree, Federal Heights, Fruita, Steamboat Springs, Superior, Berthoud, Sterling, Monument, Wellington, Fort Morgan, Berkley, Cherry Creek, Severance, Edwards, Rifle, The Pinery, Fairmount, Glenwood Springs, Gunbarrel, Timnath, Alamosa, Stonegate, Delta, Fort Lupton, Milliken, Roxborough Park, Craig, Cortez, Derby, Evergreen, Redlands, Woodmoor, Gypsum, Lochbuie, Trinidad, Fruitvale, Applewood, Woodland Park, Twin Lakes, Lamar, Eagle, Orchard Mesa, Stratmoor, La Junta, Gunnison, Carbondale, Aspen, Dacono, Mead, Gleneagle, Cherry Hills Village, Avon, Sheridan, Salida, Eaton, Estes Park, Dove Valley, Shaw Heights, Brush, West Pleasant View, Battlement Mesa, Todd Creek, Meridian, Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Edgewater, New Castle, Manitou Springs, Vail, Castle Pines Village, Glendale city, Lincoln Park, El Jebel, Niwot, Monte Vista, Genesee, Basalt, Penrose, Florence, Rocky Ford, Silt, Ponderosa Park, Bennett, Yuma, Orchard City, Strasburg, Burlington, Walsenburg, Buena Vista, Snowmass Village, Sierra Ridge, Platteville, Bayfield, Holly Hills, Inverness, Stepping Stone, Frisco, Ault, Leadville, Acres Green, Palisade, Palmer Lake, Telluride, Meridian Village, Elizabeth, Coal Creek CDP, Cedaredge, Park Center, Las Animas, Meeker, Wray, La Salle, Holyoke, Rangely, Granby, Laporte, Lyons, Keenesburg, Leadville North, Limon, Aristocrat Ranchettes, Olathe, Colorado City, Center, Hayden, Sterling Ranch, Wiggins, Pagosa Springs, Akron, Perry Park, Idaho Springs, Columbine Valley, Crested Butte, Byers, Hudson, Deer Trail, Kersey, Nederland, Loma, Paonia, Fraser, Indian Hills, Kremmling, Del Norte, Parachute, Alamosa East, Cascade-Chipita Park, Springfield, Poncha Springs, Georgetown, Mancos, Ellicott, Ridgway, Julesburg, Mountain Village, Fowler, Aetna Estates, Dotsero, Towaoc, Winter Park, Cripple Creek, Pierce, Ordway, Kittredge, Gilcrest, Dillon, Lazy Acres, Aspen Park, Keystone, Watkins, Howard, Haxtun, Minturn, Manassa, Mount Crested Butte, Hotchkiss, Dolores, Upper Bear Creek, Ouray
About Our Law Firm
Anderson Hemmat, LLC is a personal injury law firm with locations in and around Denver, Colorado, handling all personal injury cases including car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, slip and fall, premises liability and more. Our award-winning Denver injury attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for accident victims. If you were injured in Denver, contact our law firm today, we offer a free initial consultation.