All drivers assume an inherent risk when they get behind the wheel of a car, no matter how many years they have been driving. The roadways of the world present many dangers that most drivers seem to forget after years of being behind the wheel, which is why it’s important to remind oneself of the potential danger a person faces. Specifically, highlighting the deadliness of car accidents, the leading causes for crashes, and what any person can do to reduce the risk of an accident can help keep a person safe on their travels.
How Dangerous Are Car Accidents?
There is a common misconception that car accidents are not always dangerous due to the fact that they can happen at low speeds, as opposed to only high speeds. While it’s true that a high-speed crash will likely result in more serious injuries than a low speed crash, this does not make low speed crashes any less dangerous. In fact, an average of 1.35 million people are killed on roadways every single year, meaning over 3,000 people die daily.
Who is Most at Risk in an Accident?
When a car accident occurs, women are more at risk for serious injuries than men not due to their physical stature, but rather due to the fact that driving test dummies are not built to represent the average women. As a result, safety measures for vehicles are often rated higher than they actually should be for when a woman is involved in a car accident. On a broader scale, the population group most at-risk of being involved in an accident are those aged 16-19. Regardless of whether or not you fall into one of the above categories, all drivers should aim to learn the common causes for car accidents on roads worldwide in order to stay safe.
What Are the Leading Causes for Car Accidents?
While there are countless reasons for why a car accident may occur, the following five situations are among the most common causes seen on roadways today:
Distracted Driving
First and foremost, a driver being distracted by anything in their vehicle and losing their attention they placed on the road is one of the main causes for car accidents. Whether it’s looking away from the road to read a text, taking attention from the road to food in their hand, or even someone else in the car grabbing their attention, being distracted behind the wheel can be costly.
Poor Weather Conditions
Drivers who are driving in unfamiliar weather conditions often find themselves confused at how to react to the weather they are facing. This often results in them making a maneuver they shouldn’t have with their vehicle, or simply panicking which can lead to an accident. No driver should ever drive in conditions they haven’t been able to practice in.
Reckless Driving
Serving as another common cause of car accidents, reckless driving is dangerous and can lead to many lost lives. Regardless of whether that reckless driving is speeding, violating traffic laws, or even something such as tailgating, avoid driving in such a way that your behavior is unpredictable to other drivers on the road.
Driving Under the Influence
No driver should ever get behind the wheel of a vehicle if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but the sad truth is that many drivers do. This can lead to incredibly impaired judgement and driving skills on the road, which can compound into car accidents quite quickly. Even if you are only buzzed, getting behind the wheel is an extremely bad idea when a rideshare is just one call away.
Driving While Drowsy
A little-known fact is that getting behind the wheel after 24 hours without sleep is essentially the equivalent of being at the legal limit of alcohol intake. Never drive when you are feeling drowsy as this can quickly become dangerous should you fall into a micro-sleep or simply lose your attention on the road.
Tips for Avoiding a Car Accident and Staying Safe
To keep yourself safe on the road the next time you go out and to avoid serious injuries such as blunt force head trauma due to a car accident, use the following tips:
1. Leave enough following distance between cars
As a general rule of thumb, try to leave at least three to four seconds of space between vehicles when on the road. To measure this, find a freeway overpass or some other landmark that another car is passing, and begin counting. Ideally, you should be passing the same landmark three to four seconds later. This will ensure you have enough time to stop or take evasive action in an emergency.
2. Scan the road far enough ahead of a vehicle
Similar to the above tip, always scan the road around twelve seconds ahead of you to spot any potential road hazards that may be in the way. Whether it’s traffic or an object, road hazards can lead drivers to make unsafe maneuvers on the road that cause accidents.
3. Handle preventative maintenance under the hood
While it may be easy to overlook, a vehicle that breaks down on the road poses a serious risk to others. This is why taking care of preventative maintenance, such as oil changes, air filter changes, tire rotations, and more, are so important. Refer to your owner’s manual for an exact breakdown of when these tasks should be handled.
The Bottom Line
Nobody wants to be involved in a car accident, regardless of how serious that accident may be. No driver can control the actions of others on the road which is why being vigilant is so important. Should a person see another driver start to act erratically, consider giving them extra space on the road so that they don’t accidentally run into you. In the event an accident does occur that was out of control and is due to another driver’s negligence, reach out to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible who can help you file a lawsuit to cover any long-lasting injuries you may have.
