Driving is an incredibly dangerous thing to do. Every year, it claims 1.3 million lives, and it is responsible for 20-50 million injuries or disabilities. In the US alone, an average of 37,000 people are killed in car accidents and 2.35 million people are either injured or disabled. This may be one of the reasons that many parents are anxious when their child starts to learn how to drive. They are opening themselves up to immense risks, but driving remains a crucial part of being a self-sufficient adult in the modern Western world. Learning how to drive and getting your own car is actually a rite of passage. However fun you might think driving is and however much passion you may have for cars, there are many more risks than just the possibility of getting hurt out on the road. If you are about to start driving and you want to know exactly what you can expect, or even if you’ve been driving for a while, here are a few things to be aware of:
The most difficult aspect of driving is not having command over your vehicle itself. It starts to become tough when you have to negotiate your way amongst all of the other drivers. It could be that someone else loses control of their car and crashes into you, or to avoid that, you have to swerve and potentially end up crashing your own car. Sometimes these sorts of incidents will not be accidental. There are lots of people who will intentionally try to engineer a crash so that they can erroneously claim for lots of things on their insurance paperwork. It is more common than you might think. It is estimated that as much as 20% of bodily harm insurance claims are false (and therefore criminal). This fraud costs insurance companies millions of dollars each year and that cost is, of course, passed onto regular consumers. To protect yourself, you should always leave plenty of room between you and the cars in front of you to give yourself more time to slow down and avoid a crash (however minor). If you think that the other driver is going to feign injury, you should file a report with the police. This can make it more difficult for the suspected criminal to claim anything from your insurance company.
In a fraud case, the police will be on your side, but they will not always be in every situation. Getting pulled by a police officer happens to nearly everyone at one time or another. It could be for something as simple as a broken tail light. However, they may suspect you of something much more serious. You should, therefore, act cautiously when the police pull you over. Do not make any sudden movements and do not get out of your vehicle unless instructed. Always be polite but know your rights. An officer cannot search your vehicle (unless they see something illegal like an open container or if they have probable cause) without your permission.
There are lots of risks out there on the road but being better informed about some of the major ones could potentially keep you out of trouble and save you money too.
