Safety measures to follow when passing other vehicles

A car accident in Zapata, Texas occurred when a vehicle tried to pass another car on Highway 83. After the car pulled into the northbound lane, it collided head-on with a Ford truck. Melanie Valenzuela, the 20 year-old driver of the car, died at the accident scene.

KGNS.tv reported that the truck driver, Albelardo Dominguez Jr. passed away later in the hospital due to his accident injuries. His father, Albelardo Dominguez III was also in the truck and taken to the hospital where he remained in critical condition. The accident occurred in September 2020.

Unfortunately, passing other cars is sometimes a safety issue that can cause accidents.

Safety guidelines for passing other vehicles

Most cars pass another vehicle when it is traveling too slowly. In fact, passing under these circumstances makes sense. It can be a safety precaution. When vehicles all travel at the same speed and travel close to the posted speed limit, the risk for accidents drops.

However, you should only pass when it would create less danger than not passing. Road conditions and weather should be main considerations. Also, waiting for a safe opportunity to pass is crucial.

When passing, take the following factors into consideration:

• Do lines on the road show passing is allowed?
• How far ahead can you see? If a car came into view, would you run into oncoming traffic?
• Do you have enough time to pass the car?
• Is another vehicle trying to pass you? Ensure no car is in the passing lane in your blind spot.
• Is there enough space on the road to pass the other car?
• Is there is an oncoming car in the left lane. If so, how fast is it traveling?

The right way to pass another vehicle

After you’ve determined that passing is safe, you should do the following:

• Turn on your left-turn signal
• Increase speed to pass quickly
• Put on your right turn signal when ready to merge back into the right traffic lane
• Merge back into the right lane after you can see the tires of the car you passed in your rearview mirror
• Turn off your right turn signal
• Maintain your speed until there’s a safe distance between your vehicle and the vehicle you passed
• Return to a safe cruising speed

Get Legal Help with an accident in Zapata, Texas

The Office of Michael R. De La Paz has extensive experience handling accident cases. We represent clients throughout Texas including Zapata, Laredo, Dallas and other locations statewide.