What Can You Do to Avoid a Rear-End Collision?

As you’re driving, one of the things you have to be on the lookout for is someone who is following too closely behind you. Rear-end collisions are possible when someone hits you because they’re speeding and unable to stop. They can also happen when the drive behind you isn’t paying attention.

In some cases, you could be the rear driver and end up getting into a rear-end collision because the driver in front of you slams on their brakes to intentionally cause harm. Or, someone could cut you off in traffic and slam their brakes on, so you have no time to maneuver around them.

What Can You Do to Prevent a Crash?

In these different circumstances the main thing you can do to avoid a crash is make sure you have plenty of space between yourself and another driver. If someone is driving closely behind you and it’s making you uncomfortable, you can put on your hazard lights and pull over to let them pass, wave at them to tell them you’re allowing them to pass while slowing down or speed up to give yourself more space (as long as you’re under the speed limit).

If you’re behind someone, you need to give them plenty of space, too. A good rule of thumb is to keep at least one vehicle’s length between your vehicle and the next vehicle for every 10 mph. If you can’t do that, three should be the minimum.

Another thing to remember is that you can allow people to merge and move into your lane if they’re trying to. Slowing down a bit to give them the space to move over can help you avoid a crash. Alternatively, you can speed up and let them merge in behind you.

If You Get Into a Crash, You Have Options that Could Help

If you do get into a collision, you should call 911 right away and then look into making a claim against the at-fault driver. If someone drives dangerously and causes a crash, they should be held accountable for any injuries or damage that occurs.