The Top Six Reasons Car Accidents Happen

Hundreds if not thousands of car accidents happen everyday. While some are unavoidable, others could have been prevented. We don’t expect to be in an accident, and if you’re in one, you could feel angry, upset, or be badly hurt. According to the U.S. National Traffic Safety Administration there are six main reasons car accidents happen. Drivers Who Are Distracted Being distracted while driving is the most common cause of all car accidents. In fact, slowing down to look at another accident actually is the number one reason automobile accidents occur. We’ve all been distracted while driving, whether we are looking out the window, changing the radio station, talking on a cell phone, or tending to other passengers such as our children. Many accidents can be avoided by remaining focused and attentive to the road and the other traffic around us. Drowsy Drivers Driver fatigue accounts for more than 100,000 accidents a year in the United States. Some of the most common symptoms of driver fatigue are yawning, daydreaming, seeing animals or other things jump out in the road when in reality there’s nothing there, and straying into other lanes. To avoid driving tired, make sure you get a good night’s sleep the night before a long trip, try to pull over and take a 10 to 15 minute break every two hours, share the driving responsibilities whenever possible, and avoid drinking alcohol beverages before getting behind the wheel. Speeding Driving too fast is a double-edged sword. Not only is the time needed to stop to avoid an accident reduced, but the risk of serious injury or death increases. For example, increasing your speed from 40 mph to 60 mph more than doubles the energy that will be released if you’re in an accident. Road Rage We all can get frustrated by other drivers on the road, but driving aggressively could more than double your chances of becoming involved in a car accident. To reduce the likelihood of being involved in a crash, don’t tailgate, avoid making rude gestures or ignoring traffic signals, and don’t engage in a verbal or physical exchange with another driver. If you are the victim of an overly aggressive driver, call 911 to report them. Driving While Intoxicated Getting behind the wheel of your vehicle after drinking is never a good idea. Call a cab or appoint a designated driver before consuming alcoholic beverages. Drunk drivers are responsible for one death every half hour of every day according to NHTSA. In addition, on the weekends 53 percent of all traffic related deaths were caused by a drunk driver. Bad Weather Snow, rain, hail, ice, fog, and high winds can make driving conditions hazardous. Allow yourself more time to get to your destination if the weather is bad. Leave more room between your car and the one in front of you to give yourself adequate time to stop. Don’t hesitate to pull off the road to wait until weather conditions improve before continuing on your journey.