For more information about protecting yourself and your car on the road through a Galveston insurance policy, visit us!
Rene Toman Insurance Agency
http://www.houstonautoandhomeinsurance.com
2. Protecting Yourself on the Road
Confrontations on the
road have particular
aspects that are not
present in other self-
defense situations.
First of all, there are a
lot of them. You might
literally face this
situation a couple of
times a day during
your commute. According to the Automobile Association of America, Road Rage
incidents in the U.S. increase every year. The same report says that for every
reported incident, hundreds – perhaps thousands – of encounters go unreported.
Secondly, the speeds of vehicles are the most dangerous. In no other situation will
you be subjected to the tremendous forces exerted by automobiles. Even
firearms can't deliver the massive damage that speeding cars produce.
So, when you give in to your fight or flight response and gun the car to run away,
you are dramatically increasing your risk. The chance of injury from a motor
vehicle accident rises exponentially when it travels over 40 miles per hour.
However, with thousands of pounds of metal, safety glass and plastic surrounding
you, your car is a cocoon-like capsule that can transport you to safety. As long as
you keep the doors locked and keep moving, it is extremely difficult for someone
to hurt you. Here are some road safety measures as suggested by a Galveston
insurance company.
1. First and foremost, slow down. You have better control of your car, risk of
injury is less, and the attacker's car has less force to use against you. Cops
will tell you that slow speed pursuits are actually more difficult than high-
speed chases. In the high-speed pursuits, the criminal usually crashes.
2. Call the police on your cellular phone. Make sure the bad guys see you
calling.
3. 3. Do not stop or get out of your car. Even if you are bumped or they try to pin
your car against the curb or median, keep going! Back up and drive around
them, drive up onto the curb, whatever you have to do, but keep going.
4. Stay in the flow of traffic. There is safety in numbers. You have a chance
that others will be observing, calling the police or even, in some cases,
helping you.
5. If you are armed, do not show your weapon nor shoot from – or at – a
moving vehicle. There is a web of legal problems here. Do not be tempted
to fire a warning shot or show them your gun to "scare" them off. You face
multiple, multiple legal and logistical problems when you try to shoot and
drive at the same time. However, if the men are forcing their way into your
car, do not hesitate to employ the amount of force needed to stop the
attack.
6. Finally, with all that said, the best two things you can do to protect yourself
on the road is to buckle your seat belt and stay alert.
For more information about protecting yourself and your car on the road through
a Galveston insurance policy, visit us!
Rene Toman Insurance Agency
http://www.houstonautoandhomeinsurance.com