Car accidents are one of the leading causes of injury and they can happen anywhere and at any time. You can do your part by driving safely to ensure that no one is endangered on the road, but not everyone has these same ideas of safety.
Knowing that people don’t always put the best interests of others at hand, you want to be wary of what can cause a car accident. There are certainly a lot of things that can happen, but for your sake, here are the most common causes.
Driving While Intoxicated/Under the Influence
This is one of the leading causes for people who get in car accidents or cause them. Driving while intoxicated or under the influence of some substance, like drugs, can cause serious damages or loss of life. According to the lawyers at hildasibrian.com/en/car-accident-lawyer/, this is a major issue for drivers and it needs to be dealt with accordingly if you are the victim of a drunk or impaired driver. The damages can be tremendous so you want someone on your side to fight for justice on your behalf.
Texting and Driving
Another major problem these days is the use of cellphones and mobile devices while driving. The ability to do just about anything you want on your phone has enticed many people to forget that they can’t multitask well or at all when they use their phones while driving. According to the experts at The King Law Firm, texting while driving is a leading cause of accidents among younger drivers. It is not something that just parents should have to remind their kids, but evidently, they do. Even adult drivers are often guilty of this. To put it simply, keep the phone out of your hands while on the road.
Distracted Driving
While texting and driving fall under the distracted driving description, it is important to mention texting as its own entity because of how prevalent it is. The other examples of distracted driving include listening to music too loudly, talking to people in the car, smoking, doing makeup, and eating or drinking. These seem like normal things that you can do in your car but even the slightest distraction can cause you to miss out on precious reaction time which may be needed to hit the brakes or avoid a possible accident.
Speeding
Speeding has always been linked to car accidents because many people forget how dangerous it can be to go over the limit. Even driving 10mp/h over the speed limit can result in an accident turning from bad to fatal, so it is important that people understand that speed limits are rules, not suggestions. The amount of damage that can be done is immense so drivers need to exercise caution, especially in bad conditions like low visibility, rain, or snow.
Failure to Signal
Your turn signals are not just there as suggestions either, you need to use them whenever making a lane change, a merge, or turning. Improperly signaling can result in a car accident and it has happened many times before. When you fail to signal people have no idea what you are trying to do and you could end up cutting someone off or failing to see someone in your blindspot. It also doesn’t give adequate time for someone to react and this can cause them to rear-end you.
Faulty Lights
It becomes even worse when your lights don’t work. Not just your turn signals not working, but your brake lights as well. Having no brake lights doesn’t give drivers behind you any idea if you’re stopping or not which may lead to rear-ending them and other problems. The front lights are also needed during the night time or foggy conditions so other drivers (and pedestrians) can see where you are on the road.
Fatigue
A tired driver is an unsafe driver. We have all gotten into a car while half-asleep to head home or go to work, which is usually fine, but fatigue is an entirely different ballgame. Fatigued driving causes you to nod off and fall asleep behind the wheel which can cause you to drift into oncoming lanes, drift into ditches or poles, and poses a serious danger to you and other motorists. Never drive a vehicle if you feel fatigued to the point of spurts of sleep.
While there are plenty of ways that a car accident can happen, it is important to recognize some of the most common ones so you can avoid any complications on the road.