Driving will always be a risk due to the actions of others. However well you drive, there will always be someone out there driving poorly who could cause a collision that injures or kills you.
Understanding that might cause you to reevaluate your own driving. What do you mean when you say you are a good driver? Do you mean you are unlikely to cause a crash? Or that you drive in a way that reduces the chance you are involved in one, protecting yourself and your passengers?
Expect the worst of other drivers
Do not assume that other drivers will act logically. Consider they may do the very thing they should not do. Anticipating that gives you more chance to avoid their bad decisions affecting you. Here are some things you can do:
- Keep space around you: The more room you have around you, the more time you have to react. Think of it as your protective cushion. Stay at least three seconds back from the car in front. There is little you can do to keep the next car three seconds behind you, so if someone is too close to your rear, look for an opportunity to allow them to pass.
- Choose your neighbors: Avoid sitting close to trucks. They can do you far more damage than smaller vehicles. If you notice a driver in another car is erratic or agitated, look for ways to keep your distance from them too.
- Know what is around you: Use all your mirrors continuously as you drive. That allows you to hold a more up-to-date picture of what drivers could put you at risk and where your escape routes are.
- Know your escape routes: It is the driving equivalent of thinking twice before entering a dark alley. If something should happen when you make a particular maneuver, what are your options to avoid crashing?
If you are injured in a car crash, you may regret not driving more defensively. Your only option now will be to seek legal help to hold the driver who caused it responsible.