Finding Safety with Winston-Salem Car Insurance

Winston-Salem car insurance is there to protect us after a car accident, but what about before?

Even when you are the only one on the road, traffic laws are in place to keep you safe and prevent you from having to use your Winston-Salem car insurance.

In North Carolina, it is required that you carry at least $30,000/$60,000 in bodily injury liability coverage and $25,000 in property damage liability coverage. These coverages are there to protect you financially in the event that you cause an accident or if you are the victim of an accident.

Protecting you financially means that the coverage from your insurance policy will pay for the costs (up to the coverage limit) that result from the accident, instead of you having to find the money to pay for it yourself. Without insurance you could possible lose everything you own of value, have your wages garnished, and may even end up filing for bankruptcy.

Unfortunately, Winston-Salem car insurance is only protection for after something has already happened to you. It does nothing to protect you from the situation in the first place.

Protection from an accident comes from these other traffic laws.

Using Your Signals and Headlights

The headlights and signals that we have on our vehicles are safety equipment, and failure to use them properly can definitely result in a car accident.

Sec. 42-81. Dimming headlights

Any person operating a motor vehicle, when meeting another vehicle, shall so control the lights of the vehicle operated by him that the headlight beams shall not project a glaring or dazzling light to persons in front of such headlamp, in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 20-131.

Sec. 42-54. Signal by driver on starting, stopping or turning

The driver of any vehicle upon a street, before starting, stopping or turning from a direct line, shall first see that such movement can be made in safety, and, if any pedestrian may be affected by such movement, shall give a clearly audible signal by sounding the horn, and, whenever the operation of any other vehicle may be affected by such movement, shall give a signal as required by G.S. 20-154, plainly visible to the driver of such other vehicle, of the intention to make such movement.

Don’t Challenge the Train

Challenging the train is like playing Russian roulette. You may win a couple times, but when the train wins you’re dead. So be a better driver than that and follow these traffic laws for your own safety.

Sec. 42-53. Obedience to signals indicating approach of train

• (a)Except as provided in section 42-84, whenever any person driving a vehicle approaches a railroad grade crossing under any of the circumstances stated in this section, the driver of such vehicle shall stop within 50 feet but not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail of such railroad, and shall not proceed until he can do so safely. These requirements shall apply when:
• (1) A clearly visible electric or mechanical signal device gives warning of the immediate approach of a railroad train.
• (2) A crossing gate is lowered or when a human flagman gives or continues to give a signal of the approach or passage of a railroad train.
• (3) A railroad train approaching the street crossing emits a signal audible at the crossing, and such railroad train, by reason of its speed or nearness to such crossing, is an immediate hazard.
• (4) An approaching railroad train is plainly visible and is in hazardous proximity to such crossing.
• (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to drive any vehicle through, around or under any crossing gate or barrier at a railroad grade crossing while such gate or barrier is closed or is being opened or closed.

These are of course just a small portion of all the traffic laws out there to protect you from an accident. And for those times that you forget one of those many traffic laws is when you will be thankful for the safety of your Winston-Salem car insurance.