Most times, car accidents are caused by distracted drivers, driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, and disregarding traffic rules and regulations. You need to understand some of the major causes of traffic accidents so you can avoid them. You have a safety responsibility for yourself and other road users. Here are the most common causes of car accidents.
Distracted Driving
Drivers who are distracted by the radio, CD player, MP3 player, navigation system, or even their own music CDs may not notice a car in front of them has stopped at a traffic light. This can lead to rear-end accidents.
If you’re listening to your cell phone on speakerphone while driving and someone walks into your line of sight, it’s easy for you to miss seeing that person until it is too late and an accident occurs. Drivers who are distracted by passengers might not see other cars or pedestrians until they are right in front of them. This could result in hitting another vehicle or pedestrian when pulling up at intersections.
Some drivers also tend to drive more aggressively when using cell phones because they don’t want their conversations interrupted by traffic lights changing colors or other vehicles approaching from behind with their horns honking impatiently.
Unsafe Speed
Speeding is dangerous because it increases the likelihood of a collision. The faster you drive, the more difficult it is to stop your vehicle in time to avoid hitting another driver or vehicle. Typically, a car needs around 10 feet of stopping distance to safely come to a full stop at 30 mph (50 km/h). If you are traveling at 55 miles per hour (88 km/h), this means that your stopping distance increases by about 20 feet: 50/30 * 10 = 20.
In general, as you increase your speed by 5 miles per hour (8 kilometers per hour), your reaction time and ability to drive defensively decreases by approximately 1 second. This means that if you’re traveling at 55 miles per hour on an icy road with poor visibility due to fog or darkness and another driver suddenly appears two cars ahead of you without signaling their intention to turn left into an intersection in front of you, there isn’t enough time to save yourself.
Disobeying Traffic Lights and Signs
Most car accidents are caused by drivers who disregard traffic lights. Always check the traffic lights before driving through an intersection, and road traffic signs on the road to stay safe. Driving through a yellow light when it is safe to do so is not a problem. Never run a red light.
Look both ways before proceeding through an intersection—and be aware of pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles that may be in your path from either side. Many intersections have cameras that will record you if you run the light.
Conclusion
If you flaunt traffic rules, become distracted on the road, or drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you’re likely to cause an accident. In such a case, you’ll need a car accident attorney or auto accident attorney redding ca to help you deal with the repercussions.
