Main Causes of Car Accidents

The most common cause of car accidents is driver error, but this comes in many forms. By understanding the most common driver errors you may be able to prevent yourself from being involved in a car accident in the future. Here are the most common circumstances that lead to driver error.

Driving while tired

Whenever people are tired, they make mistakes. When driving a car while fatigues, not only is your judgement and ability to make quick decisions compromised, but you also run the risk of falling asleep behind the wheel. There are many different types of collisions caused by people who drive while tired. However the most common are head-on collisions or side-swipes.

Driving while distracted

Distracted driving has received a lot of attention recently since the advent of smart phones. However it has always been an issue. Before smartphones were consuiming virtually all of everyone’s attention, people were guilt y of distracted driving by doing things such as adjusting their car radios, doing their make-up and eating behind the wheel. The most dangerous distraction issue of recent times is texting while driving.

When you are driving a car, the situation before your eyes is constantly evolving and changing. It only takes a couple of seconds for the situation to change, which is why you always need to be alert. If you’re distracted by something else – even for only a couple of seconds – then you may not be able to react fast enough to something that develops in front of you. A driver in front of you could suddenly brake, or you yourself could swerve into another lane if you take your eyes off of the wheel for more than a split second.

Speeding

Nowadays, it seems that everyone is in a rush. This means that most of the time, people are exceeding speed limits in order to get where they need to go just that little bit quicker. Speed limits are imposed for a reason, as they help to ensure that everyone can stop their car within a safe distance if necessary. So speeding will increase the time in which you will be able to stop in time to avoid an accident. Speeding also causes other kinds of crashes which are the results of things like jumping red lights and ignoring other traffic instructions.

The higher the speed the greater the impact. Therefore, people ho speed on motorways pose the biggest risk to themselves and other people. That doesn’t mean it’s safe to speed in areas with lower speed limits though. Speed limits in built up areas are usually for the protection of pedestrians.

Drink driving

Similar to driving while tired, driving while under the influence of alcohol can be extremely dangerous. A driver who is drunk will have delayed reactions and longer response times, as well as a reduced ability to focus on what’s going on in the road ahead.

Almost every civilised country has laws that prohibit driving while under the influence of alcohol. If you’re drunk and involved in a car accident, then as well as being liable for the accident you can also face prosecution.

Aggressive driving

The old mantra says, “an angry driver is an unsafe driver”. Angry drivers tend to speed more, change lanes erratically and tailgate other motorists. Drivers who are angry tend to put their own safety before everyone else’s, and in some cases endanger the lives of themselves as well as their fellow passengers.