With hundreds of thousands of cars on the road, the chances of getting in a car accident are very high. Most of the causes of car crashes are preventable, which makes getting in one even more frustrating. Here are three common causes of car crashes and what you can do to avoid them in the future.
1. Improper Maneuvers
Part of getting a driver’s license is a test, requiring students to know all the basic driving laws. After the test is done, a lot of drivers forget what is required during certain maneuvers. Some of the biggest problems are unsafe lane changes, forgetting right-of-way rules, and improper turns. The laws are made to make travel efficient and decrease confusion while keeping everyone safe.
How to Avoid an Accident:
Review the laws from time to time. Make sure you know what is legal and what isn’t. Also, pay attention to the drivers around you. If someone else goes before it is their turn, don’t be so stubborn that you go anyway. It’s more important to be safe and get to your destination safely.
2. Impaired Driving
Driving requires a clear mind and good control of your car. If you ever operate the vehicle with anything in your body that decreases your ability to be safe. It’s important that you avoid ever driving if you have been:
- Drinking
- Doing drugs
- Taking certain medications
Another way that many drivers are impaired without realizing it is fatigue. This makes you just as fuzzy and prevents clear thinking just as much as drunk driving. These all slow down your reaction time, which is dangerous for switching lanes, if you have someone cut you off, or someone stops quickly in front of you. This makes you a danger on the road to everyone around you.
How to Avoid an Accident:
Arrange to have someone else drive if you know that you will be drinking or doing drugs. Carefully review side effects of medications. Be well rested and prepared with caffeine, planned stops, music, or something to keep you awake for the entire distance. Don’t ever rationalize that you’re okay to drive in any of these situations. Call a cab, make other plans, or pull off the road to sleep or switch drivers.
3. Distracted Driving
One of the leading causes of accidents right now is distracted driving. It comes in many different forms. The distraction that is getting the most press right now is texting while driving. This is certainly very dangerous, but it is not the only thing distracting drivers. Some other common examples are:
- Talking on the phone
- Applying makeup
- Rowdy friends and kids as passengers
- Searching for something dropped
- Eating and drinking
- Messing with the radio, sound system, or movie system.
- Multi-tasking of any kind
- Looking at maps
There are all kinds of distractions that take a driver’s eyes off the road and they are all dangerous. Taking your eyes away for even a few seconds can allow you to drive hundreds of feet without paying attention. So much is happening in any given situation that you can easily miss someone turning in front of you, braking, or a pedestrian stepping in the road.
How to Avoid an Accident:
Put the devices away, limit phone conversations, and pull off the road if you need to do anything that prevents you from giving driving your full attention.