With over a thousand accidents this year in Bellevue already, that leaves about one thousand to go. Want to avoid the pain and expense of a crash?
Rain, darkness, and ice all lead to auto accidents and injuries this time of year. We forget about these crashes over the light and dry summer months. Just last week, there was a torrential downpour that led to standing water on the roads (and even flooded the office!) With weather like this, cars in the ditch, people stuck on the side of the road, and rear ends from people driving too close are all too common. Out on the roads, the reduced visibility, slippery conditions, and freezing temperatures, create the perfect recipe for a crash. We want you to avoid an accident around Bellevue, and the injuries that usually come along with it. This article is designed to keep you safe this rainy season.
To give you an idea of how many accidents are about to occur, check out these reports from WSDOT from the last ten years. For King County, there were almost 30,000 total crashes in 2022. In Bellevue alone, there were over 2,000. This data was pulled from WSDOT November 10, 2023 and if generally up to date through lets say August, there will be 15,000 more accidents over the last four months of the year. That’s about 4,000 accidents each month for November and December. If the data is current, then we have 7,500 crashes a month coming up! And that’s if were going off of 2022 King County data. The previous years, have seen much higher accident numbers. Also, in King County, the accidents are becoming more fatal. This truly is a life or death reality.
When looking at Bellevue specifically, there have already been over a thousand accidents this year, leaving about one thousand to go. Are you with us to try and avoid such pain and expense? We hope so.
4 Keys to Avoid An Accident
Of course, the best way to avoid the pains and stress from a car accident is to not have a car crash in the first place! Keep yourself from the headache of dealing with an accident. Follow these four keys to avoid a crash.
- Be Aware of the Danger Zones: Take a minute to be aware of the dangerous sections of your route. These are the local hot spots for accidents where you see police cars on a regular basis – typically busy merging zones, intersections and hills. Two danger zones around Bellevue where we have patients report where their crashes occurred are… heading south on I-405 before it hits 520 and hydroplaning when changing lanes. Another danger zone is I-90 west merging onto I-405 down the incline that always gets backed up and folks have rear-end collisions as a result. Once you have a few common trouble spots in mind along your route, you are already a step ahead! You are on alert.
- Make A Battle Driving Plan: Plan your route and take the weather into account. We all know to hop on Waze or Google Maps to check the fastest route, but we should also check the weather. Using Weather Underground or your regular weather ap, you can see the freezing points, when the rain will pick up in the day, and when the sun sets. With your directions and the weather, you can decide the right time to get on the road, leading to tip number three.
- Take your time: We all know that this is the time of year where Bellevue can get backed up for miles. You will not be able to get from from one end of Bellevue to the other in ten minutes. It will be one of those 45 minute drives at rush hour. Leave yourself extra time that will allow you to have the peace of mind to follow the next tip.
- Leave Space: Your drivers’ ed teacher taught that you need a 3 second gap between you and the car in front of you on the freeway. Well, that was for good reason. It takes time to stop and when it is icy or wet, it will takes longer. With proper spacing, you are more likely to have the space to respond to a seat of red brake lights, slides or skids.
Accidents Happen and You Can Recover
If you take note of how to avoid an accident, but still find yourself faced with a crash this fall or winter, no worries. Life is full of unexpected turns and there is hope. Take a deep breath and find help for your injuries. If looking for a chiropractor, we have over a decade of experience helping our community get back to their best. You’d be surprised, but we often provide chiropractic care for folks involved in accidents who say they feel even better after after their accident than than they did before! It’s true. It’s possible. You too can still live your Ideal 100 Year Lifestyle, even after the tragedy of such an injuries like whiplash, back pain and neck pain. If you have found yourself in need of one of the best Bellevue chiropractors around, do call our team at Cummins Chiropractic at 425-590-9158 and we will help you recover and get back on the road again.
by Anna Cummins, OLY, Community Outreach Coordinator for Cummins Chiropractic
Cummins Chiropractic & Wellness is proud to be a 100 Year Lifestyle Affiliate Clinic serving Bellevue and beyond with our best chiropractic care. Our goal is to bring you to gold medal health so you can live vibrantly from your first breath of life to your last.
