New Year Safety Resolutions To Keep You From Injury In 2023

A single injury can significantly impact your life, physically, mentally, and financially. Here are a few new year safety resolutions to consider that can help you avoid a preventable accident. However, if you find yourself injured from someone else’s mistake ensure you talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer in Pennyslvania.

Activate Do Not Disturb While Driving

On some cell phones, you have the option to have Do Not Disturb activate automatically while driving. Doing so can eliminate the temptation to look at your phone while on the road. Using a cell phone while driving can reduce a driver’s attention by as much as 37 percent. As a result, the chance of an accident is drastically higher. According to data from the National Safety Council, cell phone use leads to 1.6 million car crashes each year.

Be Early

Try to give yourself more time than you think you need to drive to a destination. That way, you will not feel pressured to speed or make reckless maneuvers to get somewhere on time. It will also give you the opportunity to drive defensively since you will not feel as stressed. For example, maintaining a safe driving distance, scanning your surroundings, not depending on other drivers to move out of your way, planning for other drivers’ mistakes, and braking early. 

Outfit Yourself with the Right Gear

When cycling or engaging in other recreational activities or sports, use the correct gear to reduce the risk of an injury—for example, helmets reduce the risk of severe brain injury by 88%, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Additionally, wearing the right footwear for the situation you are in can prevent you from an unexpected slip and fall. 

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep deprivation is an often overlooked risk factor for injury. However, fatigue can impact many areas of your life, increasing the chance of an accident. For example, your ability to drive safely, make well-thought-out decisions or pay attention to your surroundings. 

Speak Up at Work

If you witness unsafe or unhealthful working conditions, bring it to your employer’s attention if possible. You also have the option to file a confidential complaint with OSHA and ask that your workplace be inspected if you believe there is a serious hazard or that OSHA standards are not being followed. Filing a compliant against OSHA doesn’t have to be done alone. It can be completed with the help of a Philadelphia work injury attorney. 

Increase Your Visibility 

If you often take walks, invest in bright clothing or reflectors, especially if you walk at night. One of the primary causes of pedestrian accidents is lack of visibility. If you are not obviously visible to a driver, they are more likely to hit you. Wearing bright clothing or reflectors on your clothes may give drivers more time to react and slow down. 

Avoid Being an Early Adopter

Early adopters are individuals who buy and use new products before the majority of people. However, there are risks involved with doing so. For instance, if a product is defective and unreasonably dangerous. If possible, wait a little while until there are online reviews to see if any issues arise or reasons why it is considered unsafe, according to our Philadelphia attorney who focuses on product liability.