At Avrek Law Firm, we present you with a list of the most common causes of road accidents, so that you become aware when driving your car. Remember that, in most cases, they can be avoided. And that is everyone’s responsibility.
In California, the issues of road safety and accident rates do not improve. Figures from various reports show that, in 2013, there were 48,042 cases of traffic accidents. 12.94% belong to fatal injuries for a total of 6,219 deceased persons, the remaining 87.06% correspond to non-fatal injuries for a total of 41,823 injured persons.
If you are in a car accident read about what to do immediately afterwards. And learn more about what your accident case might be worth.
Top Causes of Car Accidents
1) Using the cell phone or other devices: According to a study carried out at the Institute of Transportation at Virginia Tech University, a lot of auto accidents occur because of the use of the mobile while driving.
2) DUI: Numerous studies claim that more than 20% of traffic accidents are due to the effects of alcohol on driving abilities.
3) Distractions: texting on the phone, there are other distractions like talking to kids, etc.
4) Speeding: Being in a hurry is not a valid excuse to exceed the speed limit. This infraction not only can cause you fines, but also is very dangerous for you.
5) Sleep: If you drive for many hours at a time, or drive at night, fatigue can cause reflexes and senses to not act in the same way they would in normal situations.
6) Running red lights: Either by distraction or impatience, running through intersections is an bad violation that can lead to serious accidents.
7) Overtaking another vehicle illegally: Passing when the route line of the road indicates that this maneuver is prohibited, is a very serious error.
8) Driving with lots of rain: If the rain is very intense, the asphalt gets wet and becomes slippery and the windshield wipers may not catch on.
9) Driving in the dark or with fog: If at night, on a poorly lit road the visibility is very low, the risk of an accident will be double. The same is true for fog.
10) Mechanical failures: Damaged tires or brakes, damaged lights, and other broken or impaired elements can cause a serious accident. To avoid this, remember to carry out preventive maintenance on your vehicle and comply with the official services according to the instructions in the factory manual.
11) Running stop signs: When drivers run stop signs the probability of an accident is multiplied by 5; you could hit a pedestrian, crash with another car, etc.
12) Snow and ice: What happens when snow and ice melt? Yes, they become water and get the roads wet, and even in their normal state they can affect the traction of your tires.
13) Teenage drivers: Most statistics in California regarding teens behind the wheel are pretty scary; most accidents involving teenage drivers are fatal and way more likely to happen than those involving other groups of age.
14) Night driving: Driving during the night represents a danger since your vision is reduced at least in a 60%; this makes it harder for you to react to any sudden change on the road.
15) Wrong-way driving: Driving is an art, this is why you should learn in driving schools before you hit the road; a bad driving technique can make the difference between life and death during an accident.
16) Improper turns: You might be surprised about the amount of accidents that happen when people refuse to turn correctly, always watch the lanes before making a turn in order to avoid a crash.
17) Road rage: We know that driving can be stressful, especially during traffic jams. But road rage can lead to accidents, and many studies link aggressive behavior or driving with a significant increase in traffic crashes.
18) Drugs: The usage of any drug which clouds your judgment can be fatal while you are on the road. Do not do drugs and drive, or even better; do not do drugs at all.
19) Potholes: Potholes or poor road conditions can be especially dangerous at night; these can cause your car to overturn and can lead to serious injuries and even death.
20) Tire blowouts: Just imagine you are driving on the road, minding your own business, when suddenly you hear an explosion and you lose the control of your vehicle. Not nice, right? Well, in order to avoid this kind of accidents, be sure to check your tires every time before you decide to hit the road.
21) Street racing: It might sound like fun, but street racing is fairly fatal, driving at an impressive velocity through streets and roads not designed to support those kinds of speeds can lead to serious injuries and even death.
22) Curvy roads: Curvy roads are dangerous because most drivers refuse to reduce their speeds while driving on them, and this leads to many crashes when they fail to make it through the curve while speeding.
24) Animal crossings: Watch out for animals while on the roads; hitting a cow, a deer, and any other animal of that size and weight will surely damage your vehicle and even yourself.
25) Construction sites: The problem with construction sites is that many times they leave their construction material on the side of a road, and this leads cars to hit the debris and suffer accidents.
26) Losing patience: Losing patience while on the road can lead you to engage in many negligent practices while on the wheel, leading to crashes.
27) Tailgating: Driving too close to the vehicle in front of you is proven to be a recipe for disaster, what will you do if the car going on the front suddenly stops?
28) Force of nature: In many occasions you can take every single security measure and even so you will inevitably suffer an accident; a thunder, a fallen tree, many things could happen while on the road.
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