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Maintain Your Vehicle
Regular vehicle maintenance is essential for people who own cars. The effects of car crashes are often worsened by faulty parts like a bad car engine or steering wheel, flat or unequal tires, worn-out brake pads, and so on. Some of these poorly maintained vehicle parts are even the cause of accidents sometimes. So if your car hasn’t been serviced in a while, schedule an appointment with your mechanic as soon as possible.
Maintain the Speed Limit
Driving within the legal speed limit is one way to avoid or reduce the impact of an accident. Even if your car’s brakes fail or another vehicle runs into you, it is easier to maneuver your vehicle to a safe stop if you aren’t speeding.
The general speed limit under Missouri law is as follows:
- Rural interstates and freeways – seventy miles per hour
- Rural expressways – sixty-five miles per hour
- Interstate highways, freeways, or expressways within urban areas of – sixty miles per hour
- All other roads and highways outside urban areas and not provided for elsewhere – sixty miles per hour.
These limits may be modified in different locations if the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission recommends them. You’ll need to confirm the specific speed limits from your local transportation authority to ensure you stay within the law. If you drive beyond the approved limit in your county, you could face misdemeanor charges in addition to the dangers you’ve exposed yourself to.
Do Not Drink and Drive
Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated is never a good idea. Apart from causing an accident, you could be arrested and convicted for drunk driving and other DUI-related offenses.
Give Reasonable Following Distance
Rear-end collisions are one of the more common forms of car accidents. They usually happen when a vehicle stops suddenly, and the one behind is too close to brake without hitting the car. In order to avoid such incidents, Missouri law requires drivers to follow vehicles at a “reasonably safe and prudent” distance. The unwritten rule in this regard is to leave one car length in between you and the car in front of you, depending on how fast you’re going. The faster you drive, the more distance you should leave between you and the next car.
Keep Your Vehicle Insurance Up to Date
Drivers in Missouri are required by law to insure their vehicles with coverage for injuries they may cause to third parties or other drivers. Failure to maintain an appropriate auto insurance policy or pay your insurance premium could lead to several consequences, including the following:
- You could lose your driver’s license.
- Your vehicle registration might be suspended.
- If you’re the victim of a car accident, you might be unable to claim compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company since you’re uninsured.
If you’re unable to claim compensation as an accident victim, the financial impact could be too much for you to bear. You may need to pay for your medical expenses and car repairs by yourself, which could mess up your finances. Ensure you have the appropriate car insurance on all your vehicles to avoid such issues.