As the country opens up and summer activities go into full swing, more and more people are out on the road. Even if you travel occasionally in your car, you will agree that there is a good chance you might encounter a piece of debris on the road. The debris might include small wooden pieces, plastics, worn out bits of tires and metal pieces. The following tips will help you minimize the risk of getting into a collision due to debris.
Watch your speed
The most important tip to avoid a debris-related collision is to drive at a moderate speed. If you are driving fast and suddenly come across debris, there isn’t much you can do to avoid a collision. On the other hand, driving slower will buy you much needed time to make a maneuver thereby avoiding a collision. Moreover, the driver ahead of you might apply brakes suddenly without considering how close you are. In such a case, driving at a moderate speed will give you extra response time to apply the brakes and avoid an imminent collision.
Always focus on the Stopping Sight Distance (SSD)
Stopping sight distance (SSD) is the minimum distance a car requires to stop when brakes are applied. Stopping Sight Distance varies according to the speed of the vehicle. It is advisable to keep eyes on the stopping sight distance and keep looking for any unwanted piece of debris on the road. If you have visibility up to the Stopping Sight Distance, there is a good chance you can avoid a collision with a timely maneuver.
Do not follow vehicles too closely
When you are driving on a road, it is ideal that you keep an appropriate distance between your vehicle and the one going in front of you. Tailgating or following the vehicles too closely will decrease your response time so much that you won’t be able to do anything when you see the debris. In such a case, you are completely relying on the driver going ahead of you. If that driver applies brakes suddenly, there is a high chance that your car might collide into the one going ahead of yours.
Alerting the authorities
Road safety requires an effort by all of us. Whenever you see debris on the road that might be dangerous for a car or motorist, it is advisable to report it to the relevant authority as soon as you can. Your timely response can save someone’s life and there’s nothing else more precious than a human life. The responsible team will send someone to remove the debris you reported and thereby leading to a cleaner and safer road.
Conclusion
Road debris takes thousands of lives annually in fatal accidents all across the US. Keeping these useful tips in mind while driving on a road can save you and your loved ones from a fatal accident.
Here at Davis Paint & Collision Auto Center we’d like to let you know that if you ever need a collision repair specialist, you can trust your vehicle to us. We are not only certified to fix a variety of makes and models but also we have been doing it for over 3 decades. Reach out to any of our 3 locations. For the Oklahoma City location, call 405.733.9797, South Oklahoma City location: 405.691.1820, and Midwest City location: 405.732.0762. We’re open. Call today.
