Being involved in or knowing someone who has been involved in a car accident can be one of the most traumatic experiences in a person’s life, especially considering the fact that nearly 1.25 million people lose their life as a result of them every single year, with a further 50 million suffering from injuries and disability. So, let’s take a look at some of the most common causes of car accidents in order to educate ourselves on the kind of behaviour we should be avoiding at all costs. 

Drunk or Distracted

In the UK alone, there are over 6000 accidents per year that occur as a result of drink driving, despite the strict laws that dictate exactly what the alcohol consumption limit is. Many people don’t take these laws seriously, preferring to choose the more convenient option of being able to drive home after being out, rather than not putting innocent people’s lives at risk or being contacted by someone like this Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyer after a collision. When you drink and drive, your perceptions of things like distance, and your vision are significantly skewed, resulting in a high chance of you colliding with other vehicles, pedestrians or objects.

Distracted driving is also extremely dangerous, for example texting while driving or letting your mind wander onto something that has happened to you that day, rather than focusing on the road ahead. For this reason, it is important to take a minute to clear your head before setting off in the car, as driving requires a lot of concentration no matter how experienced you are. 

Speeding or Being Reckless

How often have you been tempted to speed to get to somewhere on time, to overtake someone else, or just because it gives you an adrenalin rush? Most people speed from time to time, but it is one of the biggest causes of fatal accidents. When you speed you have less control over your vehicle and your reaction times are longer, so if your surroundings change suddenly and unexpectedly you will be unable to alter your speed accordingly.

Reckless driving is a similar issue; where you show a general disregard for other rules of the road. For example, you ignore red lights or drive very close to the person in front of you in order to pressure them into being faster, both of which are dangerous actions that can easily result in an accident. 

Weather and Tiredness

Adverse weather conditions can make roads extremely dangerous, for example when they’re icy your tyres will struggle to grip to them, and your car will end up skidding and potentially colliding with another vehicle. Similarly, if there is heavy rain, visibility will be compromised and there could be flooding that causes your car to skid. 

Another reason why many vehicles collide is because of tired drivers. If you drive when you’re tired you won’t be able to focus and concentrate as effectively, therefore increasing your chances of colliding with another vehicle.

The most common causes of car accidents are driving while drunk, being distracted while driving, speeding and reckless driving, adverse weather conditions and being tired. There is plenty you can do to avoid these situations, such as taking a more responsible approach to driving, altering your routes and speed, and sometimes simply making the decision not to drive at all, for example in the case of being tired or intoxicated.