It’s no secret that auto accidents are a daily occurrence wherever you live. When you get behind the wheel of your car, you just don’t know whether your journey will be without issue. For the most part, car crashes happen due to lapses in judgment. Either by drivers or third parties that collide with them.
So, what are the biggest causes of auto accidents so far in 2015? Here is a roundup of some of the leading reasons for vehicle crashes:
Distracted Driving
You might not believe it at first, but it’s true – distracted driving is the leading cause of auto accidents! Eating a sandwich, talking on a cell phone and putting on makeup are just some examples of distracted driving.
When you get behind the wheel of your car, it’s all too easy to get distracted. According to David Resnick, most people don’t even realize what they are doing until it’s too late.
Speeding
Let’s face it; whether we like to admit it or not, we’ve all gone faster than the posted speed limit while driving. For some folks, it can turn into something of a game. But, for others, it can end in disaster and tragedy.
Pedestrians are more likely to survive a collision at 20 mph than at faster speeds. On open stretches of road such as highways and freeways, the speed limit will be faster than 20 or 25 mph. In urban areas, they won’t.
The sad truth is that people don’t realize that their speed can kill other people. As you can imagine, breaking the speed limit intentionally is not a good idea!
Unroadworthy vehicles
Sometimes the biggest threat to the safety of other road users isn’t the people behind the wheel. Rather, it can be the vehicles themselves that are at fault!
In most parts of the world, cars and other vehicles must undergo regular safety checks. If they are deemed unroadworthy, they must be fixed or scrapped.
Some of the leading causes of auto accidents by unroadworthy vehicles are:
- Defective tires;
- Inefficient brakes; and
- Bodywork or other parts falling from the vehicle in transit.
Adverse weather
We might be good drivers when the sun’s shining, but what happens when it rains or snows? The truth is, a lot of us aren’t that skilled at controlling our vehicles during adverse weather conditions.
For example, we might not remember that stopping distances are longer on wet or icy roads. We might also forget to slow down when there is reduced visibility while driving. Even the best drivers in the world can have poor lapses in judgment.
Medical problems
Did you know that plenty of people have auto accidents because of a medical condition or problem? It’s not unknown for people to suffer strokes or heart attacks at the wheel, for instance.
Sometimes, we know about medical conditions that can affect our driving. Not wearing corrective glasses or taking epilepsy medicine is a bad idea for motorists and other road users.
So, before you get behind the wheel, make sure that you aren’t guilty of doing any of the above!
