A road accident is not something you want to experience if you haven’t. This is one of the most unwanted things that will happen to any road user. Road accidents are common globally, and the majority of these accidents occur due to human error.
While some accidents are relatively minor, hundreds of lives are taken every year by these accidents. It’s imperative to drive carefully and follow all traffic rules to avoid such accidents. In this guide, we explore some of the most common causes of road accidents. Read carefully to understand some of these unexpected causes of road accidents fully.
1. Distracted Driving
Distracted driving tops our list as one of the leading causes of road accidents for many years. As a driver, you must pay attention to the road while you are driving. Although many people view distraction while driving as minor, it could cause accidents and even result in a motorist’s death and yourself. As a pedestrian on the road, you must keep a keen eye on motorists while on the road. The experts from https://www.curcio-law.com/motor-vehicle-accidents/truck-accident/ recommend that you seek a lawyer if you experience an accident and cannot help yourself. Due to the era of technology, smartphones are one of the leading distraction triggers. Pay a close eye to many motorists while on the road, and five out of ten drivers are on their phones checking out something. As the saying goes, “A habit is a disease.” With continuous practice of such habits, you’ll get to a level where you feel that you have mastered the art of multitasking, and you can now call or text while driving, hence endangering others’ lives.
2. Jumping the Red Light
This is a common sight that happens mainly at road intersections where drivers cross without caring to look at the light. The main motive behind a driver jumping a red light is to save time with the idea that stopping at a red light is wasting time. Research done showed that if all motorists adequately follow traffic signals, it saves time, and everybody can get to their destination on time and safely. Jumping a red light means that other drivers will be tempted to do the same, leading to chaos at an intersection, causing unnecessary traffic jams.
3. Speed
You would think that speeding is only associated with random teenagers who have just received their driver’s license. No, that is not the case. Every day, we have people accelerating on the road since they are late for a meeting or work or just speeding for the mere fun of it; I know, sounds insane.
The result of over speeding is severe injury or, even worse, death. Sometimes you may have a legitimate reason as to why you’re speeding. Still, it’s important to point out that the faster you drive, the less control you have when you run into an unexpected scenario or situation on the road. Staying within the acceptable speed limits means that it’s for your safety as well as other road users.
4. Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs
Driving under the influence of any substances is one of the most dangerous causes of accidents anywhere. Many people have night-outs, drink alcohol, and end up driving their cars instead of calling a taxi. Mixing alcohol with driving may soon turn your night-out into a misfortune. One of the dangers of alcohol and other drug-related substances is that they reduce your concentration, decreasing the human body’s reaction time. This means that your thinking is limited, and your limbs take more time to react to the brain’s instructions. The best recommendation is to avoid driving while under the influence of substances.
5. Are You a Reckless Driver?
In many driving schools, the instructor will always emphasize that you are the only sane driver on the road. Many times, the learners are left wondering why the statement. Well, reckless driving is frustrating to many road users. Some car accident lawyers would even say that it’s the cause of entirely avoidable accidents. Let’s look at a few case examples of how we should define reckless driving:
- Speeding is one of the best examples of reckless driving.
- Abrupt acceleration by a motorist on the road
- Braking sharply
- Switching lanes without indicating
- Driving towards oncoming traffic
- Making illegal U-turns where they should not
- Driving between lanes
You must remain calm while on the road and follow traffic rules to reduce the risk of accidents caused by carelessness.
6. Driving at Night
This should not be taken that you should not drive your car at night. There is limited visibility at night, which means you cannot see hazards as clearly as possible. To counter this, governments must ensure that all roads and highways have street lights to help in night navigation. To be on the safe side, ensure that you are extra careful and alert while driving at night. Make sure you use full lights when driving on the road with no street lights.
7. Making Improper Turns
I know you’ve made an improper turn at some point while driving, but if you’ve not, congratulations, we need people like you out here. The takeaway here is to stay vigilant of street signs, especially in areas that you’re unfamiliar with; this helps you avoid making wrong judgment calls to avoid making improper turns. Look out for traffic signs and ensure that you obey the proper right-of-way when making a turn.
8. Potholes
Roads are subjected to wear out over time and, as a result, potholes. Sometimes potholes are frustrating since some of them are hard to navigate. Ensure you try to navigate potholes as best as you can to avoid damaging your car. However, this doesn’t mean that you should switch to another lane without looking at oncoming traffic. Always stay vigilant and don’t take chances.
And there are some of the most unexpected causes of accidents. While driving, always remember that you are responsible for the safety of others as well as yours. Driving responsibly means that you can make the right decisions and also follow appropriate driver etiquette. As a driver, you have to take into consideration all factors to ensure high safety standards.
