Top Seven Causes of Car Accidents And How You Can Prevent Them
Car accidents happen every single day. Although many accidents are minor, we must all be aware that thousands of lives are taken every year in tragic car crashes. Even if you are a safe driver and follow all the traffic laws, there will always be other drivers on the road who are not.
Even if you do not drive you can be affected by the actions of other drivers. This applies to pedestrians, bicycle riders, passengers in cars, buses, and other vehicles, and everyone that ventures outside where there are cars. So in order to protect yourself and your family it is important to understand the driving environment that you go out into each and every day. To assist you in this, below is a discussion of the most common causes of car accidents in the United States.
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Texting While Driving
– The number of horrific car accidents caused by a driver who is texting has even surpassed those caused by impaired drivers. Although many local governments have passed laws to make texting and driving illegal, the only real solution is to simply stop texting or using your cell phone while driving. It is as easy as pulling over to the side of the road or into a safe place, stopping your car, and then using your phone.
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Driving While Impaired
– Driving while impaired by alcohol, medication, or drugs is one of our most significant roadway dangers. In fact, in 2014, 9,967 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (31%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. Furthermore, driving while on drugs was associated with more deaths in 2015 than driving with alcohol in one’s system. Still, some safety experts caution that drunken driving remains a bigger problem and say that “drugged driving” needs more research. Irrespective of which “wins” out as the most significant problem, it is easy to conclude that impaired driving is a major danger on our roadways.
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Speeding
– Speeding is the second most common cause of accidents, and is certainly a preventable cause. So if you are running late you should resist the urge to speed. The opportunity to arrive five minutes earlier is not worth your life or the life of another.
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Reckless Driving
– Driving aggressively, which includes everything from speeding, to changing lanes too quickly, to tailgating can lead to horrible accidents. It’s important to take your time while driving, even if it means leaving the house ten minutes earlier. This will give you the time to remain calm while driving and to take your time.
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Eating While Driving
– Like texting, eating while driving is another form of distracted driving and isn’t safe.
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Rain, Snow, and/or Dust Storms
– Limited visibility is a huge danger when you are driving. It is important to be able to see your complete surroundings in order to drive safely. While you can’t always avoid driving in bad whether, you should pull over and wait until a storm passes if your visibility becomes limited.
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Running Red Lights
– We see drivers do this ever day. Two examples are that last car in line that does not want to stop and wait at the light, so the driver speeds through after it has turned red; or the driver who simply is not paying attention and does not see the red light. Either way, the outcome is the same….a horrific, unnecessary car accident.
The solution to all these top causes of car accidents is to slow down, pay attention, and to drive responsibly. It really is that simple and can be done by everyone.
As the owner of Zanes Law and as a car accident lawyer who has been helping people for twenty years, I have seen accidents caused by drivers failing to avoid these top causes of car accidents over and over. So if you have been injured in any way, please call us and we will do our best to help you just like we helped our many clients who have left us 5-Star Google reviews
