Are you trying to learn more about the different causes of car accidents? If yes, you should check out our guide right here.
Despite amazing advances in vehicle technology, such as backup cameras and adaptive headlights, car accidents still happen.
Whether severe or minor, a car accident can change your life. It may lead to pain, loss of wages, permanent disabilities, and suffering. Each year, approximately 1.35 million people die as a result of car accidents, and since you wouldn’t want to be among the statistic, careful driving is imperative.
You might have a dash cam to prove your innocence after a car crash, but the primary goal should be to thwart a crash. Knowing the common causes of car accidents helps you apply preventive measures on the road for a safe drive.
The causes of car crashes might be related or unrelated to human error. Keep it here to learn more.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is the leading cause of car crashes. In the United States, more than 1,000 people get injured in car accidents, with approximately 9 death cases, every day due to distracted driving.
Anything that steals your attention away from driving increases the chances of car accidents.
Texting, eating, or talking when you’re behind the wheel, are a few things that may distract your driving. Safe driving means giving all your full attention to the road.
For instance, when you’re changing the radio station, you’ll take your eyes off the road and the hands off the wheel.
You can avoid causing havoc on the road by avoiding texting while driving. Also, ensure you make calls before getting behind the while. Alternatively, you can make a stop-over to attend to your phone.
Reckless Driving
Remember, not everyone observes traffic rules. Reckless driving is a major cause of car crashes across the globe. Unfortunately, these types of drivers put themselves and others at risk.
Some of the reckless driving acts include;
- Improper Turns – Improper turns put a vehicle into the path or in front of an oncoming car. Always take your time, slow down, and make a single, smooth move. Ensure you turn the signal on at least 100ft from your targeted turn.
- Tailgating – It’s advisable to drive at a speed that can allow a safe stop. Maintain a good distance between the car in front of you. During bad weather, make the distance double for added safety.
- Sudden Braking – Vehicles behind you will use your braking pattern to guide their braking behavior. Unnecessary pressing of the braking system reduces the window of time in which other drivers react to the need to bake, causing an accident.
Failure to wear a seat-belt, disobeying traffic rules, and driving while tired are other acts of reckless driving you should avoid.
The offenders are punished by jail time, license revocation, suspension, and fines.
Speeding
Speeding can be enthralling, but only in a safari rally. You’ve seen them on the highway, where drivers ignore the speed limits. High speed might get you to your destination early, but it can also take your six-feet under pretty soon.
Sadly, you may cause pain and suffering to others. Speeding won’t save you significant time but rather increases the chances of accidents.
Is it worth causing a car accident just to get home a few seconds earlier?
Drunk Driving
Driving while intoxicated is a serious crime, and it’s among the leading causes of car accidents. Any amount of alcohol in the bloodstream can affect your driving ability. You cannot make good judgment, hence, fail to react on time to avoid an accident.
Heavy drinking distorts your motor skills, such as hand, foot, and eye coordination. Your response time is also slowed, preventing you from making a quick decision behind the wheel.
Consumption of alcohol reduces your attention span and concentration. You might find yourself in the wrong lane and disobeying other road rules.
Don’t let alcohol ruin your life. Take the responsibility to protect yourself and other road users.
Night Driving
It doesn’t mean driving during the day is 100% safe, but a night drive doubles the risk of a car crash. Your ability to judge the distance and road signs is severely impaired at night—approximately 90% of the decisions you make while driving is based on what you see.
Although the combination of street lights and headlights might make you see some parts of the road, you may not tell what lies beyond those lights.
If you’re driving after the sunset, allow for enough distance to stop. You can gauge the distance using the headlights.
Limiting the brightness of the dashboard lights will also help you see clearly at night.
More so, you should limit distractions since your vision is already impaired. Drive at a slower speed to avoid causing a wrongful car accident.
Due to the laws governing accident cases, it might be difficult for you to identify faults that can get you compensation.
Drive Carefully by Avoiding These Causes of Car Accidents
Accidents are inevitable, no matter how careful you can be. However, avoiding the top causes of car accidents will significantly minimize your risk of being involved in a car crash. Before you start the engine, think about how precious life is.
Apart from avoiding accidents, you’d also be interested in learning more important tips about business, travel, social media, finance, and health. Keep checking out our website for topics in all these fields.
