Williams & Bridge Publishing

If you’ve wondered why most car accidents occur, you’re not alone…many people want to understand the most common causes of car accidents, so that they can avoid any behavior that leads to a problem out on the roadways. Luckily, there are plenty of statistics and data that help to identify key reasons why car accidents happen. In most surveys and stats, driver error is the number one reason why fender benders, pile-ups and collisions happen on every kind of road…from country lanes to city streets to stretches of asphalt highway. To avoid mistakes that cause accidents, drivers must learn and follow the rules of the road. Drivers must also stay safe by avoiding distractions while driving…distractions to avoid include texting, eating, drinking, cell phone usage, daydreaming, and makeup application. To get a handle on driver distraction, examine your own habits and driving behavior – if you’re using a Blackberry or cell phone while you’re on the road, it’s time to stop your bad habit forever. If you tend to get too involved with music that is playing on your car stereo, avoid that distraction by turning the music off. By eliminating dangerous distractions, you can make it possible to remain fully alert while piloting a vehicle. Avoid any activities that force you to take a hand off of the wheel – eating and drinking are prime examples. Change your schedule so that there is ample time to have a drink and a snack when you are not in your car – or simply pull over to a rest stop area and enjoy a quick meal in your vehicle. Driver distraction puts your life at risk, and it risks the lives of others, too. Speeding is the number two reason why cars crash, and it’s a totally preventable bad habit. If you’re a “lead foot”, stop driving like you’re on the grid in a Formula One or Nascar auto race. Instead, ask yourself if it is really necessary to break the speeding limit when you’re behind the wheel…the first step to breaking the speeding habit is to analyze your reasons for doing it. For example, if you’re speeding because you’re chronically late, deal with time management instead of risking your life to get somewhere at the right moment. Remember, it’s not just about you – others may die from your poor decision-making and rash judgment. By changing your lifestyle, you can support a choice to drive more slowly and safely. Speeding limits are there for a reason, and disobeying the law is a recipe for disaster. The consequences of speeding can be dire, and they may include arrest and loss of your driver’s license. A third factor that often contributes to car accidents is driving while intoxicated – drunk driving is a potentially deadly decision that may haunt a person for the rest of his or her life. Once a person has had a few drinks, his or her reflexes, reaction times, and spatial abilities plummet. While it may be tempting to drive after having “just a few drinks”, it can be a choice that leads to arrest, conviction, and a criminal record. A DUI arrest stains the reputation, because drunk driving often kills innocent people…to others, the act of choosing to drive after drinking alcohol sends a message of selfishness and recklessness. For those who do kill others through their own drunk driving, the guilt and shame of taking another person’s life can be truly debilitating…and the sense of grief and self-loathing that is experienced after an accident can ruin a drunk driver’s life for a very long time. These are a few of the biggest reasons why car accidents happen; other reasons include bad weather, mechanical failure, inexperienced drivers, or overly aggressive drivers. To learn more, sign up for a safe driving course, or study statistics on car accidents. Once you know which driving variables cause death, injury, disability, and legal problems, you will be able to avoid bad habits and pitfalls that might lead to disaster out on the road. Related reading – Road Accident Claims