There is one thing that is true for almost every single car accident that has happened in Alabama. The people involved in the accident never saw it coming. Indeed, if we had a crystal ball, we would stay home on the car accident day and avoid getting hurt. Unfortunately, that’s not possible, but the next best thing we can do is take a number of safety precautions to limit our chances of being hurt in a crash.

The first thing that every Alabama resident should do is use a seat belt. Statistics show that seat belts prevent death and catastrophic injury time and time again. In fact, a seat belt can turn a fatal crash into one that’s injury-free. Did you know that seat belts reduce the risk of serious injury and/or death in a car accident by 50 percent?

The second thing that every driver should do is operate his or her vehicle at a safe speed. Not only is it the law to follow the speed limit, but it also reduces your chances of getting hurt or killed in a car crash. Driving slower means you’ll have more reaction time to avoid a crash if you see something in your path. It also means that if you do get in a crash, you’ll be going slower, so the laws of physics dictate that the crash will be less severe. Does it really matter that much if you get to your destination five or 10 minutes faster?

These are just two pieces of advice, but if every driver in Alabama followed them, we would see a lot less death and injury on our roads. Unfortunately, though, they will not prevent all accidents. For lawful and safe-driving Alabama residents who have been injured in a car accident, the suffering and financial costs related to the injuries can be difficult to endure, but you may be able to seek financial restitution by filing a claim against the party or parties responsible for your injuries in court.