The first six months of 2021 saw a disturbing increase in motor vehicle traffic fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, around 20,160 people died in auto accidents in the first half of 2021 – a whopping 18.4 percent increase from 2020.

While it’s difficult to speculate what caused this spike in fatal accidents, it’s safe to say that every time you commute to and from work or run errands, there’s a chance you could be involved in an auto collision.

Not every commute poses the same risks. Some places are more prone to accidents than others. You can decrease your chances of getting into an accident by practicing extra caution while driving, be it on an interstate highway or a grocery store parking lot. Below are some of the most likely places for collisions to happen and what you can do to minimize your risk of getting into a car accident.

Rural Areas

Rural roads and highways pose a not-so-obvious threat to drivers. Since rural areas tend to have few traffic lights and stop signs, and are far less congested than city roads, some people tend to speed and on these roads.

Two-lane rural highways in particular are extraordinarily dangerous, especially at night. There’s no divider between vehicles traveling in opposite directions and no passing lane, which means to pass people need to speed up in the oncoming traffic lane. At night, when drowsy or drunk drivers are on the road, serious accidents are far too common.

Speed limits on highways tend to be higher than those in towns. Drifting even a little bit can cause head-on collisions at high rates of speed. What’s worse, getting help in these areas may be severely delayed, which is particularly bad when you’re stranded or injured.

Parking Lots

Busy parking lots are common places for low-speed crashes and fender benders. Accidents are especially common outside of airports, grocery stores, malls and schools. Pedestrians, drivers backing out of parking spaces and shopping carts scattered about are all factors contributing to parking lot accidents. While many accidents in parking lots aren’t serious, there are some that can result in severe injuries or even death, especially if they involve pedestrians.

Stop Signs

Despite being red and having a clear, concise and explicit message printed on them in large letters, stop signs are often overlooked by inattentive drivers. Many people confuse a two-way stop sign with a four-way stop sign, assuming that vehicles traveling perpendicular to them also need to stop. This false assumption often leads to T-bone collisions, which can result in serious injuries.

Your Neighborhood

If you’re heading home after a long day at work or coming back from a trip, driving through your neighborhood can make you feel like you’re home already. You may be tempted to undo your seatbelt early or let yourself be distracted. Many serious accidents happen close to home because drivers aren’t as attentive as they should be.

How You Can Lower Your Risk of Getting into an Accident

There’s no surefire way to avoid accidents, but you can minimize the risk of getting into one by practicing defensive driving techniques and other safe driving techniques:

• Always wear a seatbelt
• Avoid texting or browsing your phone
• If you need GPS, listen to directions instead of reading them or looking at the map
• Absolutely do not consume alcohol prior to driving
• Slow down if the weather is bad
• Avoid reckless and risky maneuvers
• Keep your car’s brakes and tires in proper working order

Remaining accident-free has benefits that go beyond your health and safety. By having a clean driving record, you keep your insurance premiums low and save money.

How an Auto Accident Lawyer Can Help

Being involved in a car crash is hugely disruptive. In addition to being incredibly inconvenient it can also end up costing you a lot of money. If you’re injured you might be out of work for weeks or months, resulting in a significant loss of income. People injured in crashes frequently have trouble paying their regular bills, not to mention all their new healthcare costs.

Many people who are seriously injured in car crashes work with personal injury attorneys who are experienced in car accident cases. A skilled Florida car crash lawyer can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and use their experience in similar cases to fight for the compensation you deserve.