Car accidents are mostly caused by human error. More than one million people die each year because of car crashes. Thus, it is so important to drive carefully and follow traffic rules.
However, even if you’re carefully driving, it doesn’t mean that you are 100% safe from accidents. You shouldn’t be held responsible for the damages which are caused by mistakes or ignorance of other drivers. There’s a need to seek a car accident lawyers to file a car accident claim.
Here are the most common reasons why car accidents happen and the things that you need to do in order to avoid them.
- Drunk Driving
This is one of the most dangerous and most deadly causes of car accidents. You should grab a taxi or let your sober friend drive for you if you have been drinking. It’s not always worth the risk to drive while you’re drunk.
- Distracted Driving
Distracted driving has become a bigger threat each year and is the main cause of car accidents for the past years. Always focus your attention on the road when you’re driving. There should be no texting, no taking of calls, no reading, no eating, no talking, and no grooming while you are driving.
- Reckless Driving
Overspeeding, getting aggressive on the roads, and changing lanes too quickly are other causes of horrible and deadly car accidents. It’s important to stay calm and take your time when driving to prevent accidents caused by carelessness.
- Speeding
This is the second of the most common cause of car accidents. It may be tempting to increase your speed limit when you’re running late but it’s also better to be late than not to reach your destination at all. Always maintain your speed within the legal speed limits.
- Running Red Lights
You can cause a severe accident when you do not follow traffic rules. And one of the most violated traffic rules is the red light. You should stop when it’s red even if there are no cars coming. You can come up with as many excuses as you can to run during a red light. However, none of those excuses will ever be valid. You should understand that your life is more important than being late.
- Driving in the Rain
You cannot really always avoid driving while it’s raining. However, as much as possible you should avoid the slippery road. You should stop over if your visibility is too low and wait until the heavy rain passes.
- Design Defects
Sometimes, car accidents happen because of the defects of the car. In order to avoid this, you should watch out for reported recalls and regularly bring your car for maintenance.
- Night Driving
It is more difficult to see hazards at night due to the lack of visibility. You should be on full alert in the dark when driving. Always use your lights fully on roads without streetlights.
- Improper Turns or Wrong-Way Driving
All of us make mistakes, but committing mistakes in driving can cause serious accidents. You should be aware of the street signs and other irregularities especially when you’re driving in unfamiliar areas.
- Tailgating
Never get too close to the car in your front. Always keep a distance from other vehicles so there will still be a time for you to react if there are sudden brakes or sudden turns.
Conclusion
Try to take note of these common reasons of car accidents and the actions you need to take in order to avoid them. Always be proactive, take precaution, and remove all sources of distractions that might get your attention from the road.