The most common car accidents are not hard to identify. Across all states in the United States, statistics point to certain causes as the main reasons that lead to the common car accidents suffered on the roads. Unfortunately so, these car accidents will so far have led to around 25 million deaths. And despite all the efforts of the government to ensure road safety and enforce traffic rules, and of vehicle manufacturers to install safety technologies into automobiles, car accidents still occur in frightening numbers.
And the most common car accidents tell us why.
The Real Problem
Statistics show that the most common car accident causes include drunk driving, driver negligence and distraction, and over-speeding. These causes are also associated with fatal car crashes and high speed collisions that do relatively greater damage than other types of accidents.
All these common car accident causes show us that the problem is not due to the lack of road or vehicle safety measures, but in the drivers themselves.
#1: Drunk Driving
Drunk driving is currently the number one perpetrator behind car accidents. Organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving have been working to prevent drunk driving from claiming the lives of drivers, other motorists, innocent passengers, and pedestrians. The scary truth is that drunk drivers endanger anyone on the road, not just their own lives and those of their passengers.
According to 2004 records, the NHTSA estimated one death every thirty minutes due to alcohol-related car accidents. And in 2003, 30% of fatal car crashes were caused by drunk driving cases. In general, drunk driving also accounts for 50% of fatal crashes that occur during weekends. And seeing as how even celebrities have become caught up in DUI charges recently, it is safe to say that drunk driving is still the number one killer on the roads these days.
#2: Driver Negligence
The second most common car accidents cause is driver negligence, which can either be due to reckless driving or to driver distraction, two other minor causes that bring about several driver negligence car accident cases. The American Automobile Association even names driver distraction and negligence as the root cause of more than 25 percent of car accidents.
Driver distraction can be caused by several things. Ironically, rubbernecking, which means to slow down to check out another accident, brought around 16 percent of driver distraction cases.
Driver negligence can also spring from driver fatigue, distraction from the surrounding scenery, distraction from other passengers, consulting maps, using cellular phones, and adjusting the radio or CD players. Also, it is said that using cellular phones while driving more than triples the risk of getting into a car accident.
#3: Over-Speeding and High Speed Collisions
Over-speeding is a very dangerous offence; unfortunately, it is also one that most drivers take for granted. A lot of people think that over-speeding is a minor driver offence. The truth is, speeding is more dangerous because higher speeds means you don’t have much time to prevent an accident when you see one about to happen. Also, because of greater velocity, impacts are stronger and the crashes are more severe. In fact, most speeding crashes have been linked to fatalities.
The Dangers of Highways and Freeways
According to car accident statistics, the site of the most common car accidents are the highways and freeways. The United States has a lot of highways and freeways wherein most motorists travel at high speeds, making it a breeding ground for highly dangerous car crashes. The most fatal crashes also often occur on such roads.
Do: Be a responsible and careful driver.
Don’t: Don’t take driving for granted. Remember that as a driver, you are not just holding your life in your hands. You also become responsible for your passengers and for the safety of the entire road for other motorists.
The Verdict: It is unfortunate how the most common car accidents can be traced back to some problem in the part of the drivers. A change in car accident stats will start with a change in every driver. Driving is dangerous and should not be taken lightly. As a driver, you should do your part in trying to prevent car accidents.
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