Did you know that there’s an average of six million car crashes every year in the U.S.? That’s over 16,000 per day!
Unfortunately, road crashes are a daily occurrence in the United States. You never think it can happen to you, but it absolutely can. Whether it’s your fault or another driver’s fault, car accidents can happen to anyone.
Want to know the common reasons behind them? Keep reading to learn the seven top causes of car accidents. This information could help you prevent your own!
1. Distracted Driving
Texting, talking on the phone, changing the radio station, eating your breakfast, breaking up the kids’ fight in the backseat, fumbling for something you dropped on the floor. All of these are examples of distracted, dangerous driving!
You might think you’re only looking away for two seconds. Usually, that’s not accurate anyway. And it only takes two seconds for something unexpected to happen.
A person crossing the street, an animal coming out of nowhere, the car in front of you slowing down. These are all things that happen in a split second that you can easily miss if you’re not paying strict attention to the road.
Here’s a staggering statistic: nine Americans each day are killed by a distracted driver. That’s more than 3,000 each year. And more than 1,000 people every year are injured by distracted driving.
The solution to this one is simple: don’t drive distracted! Especially avoid texting and talking on the phone while driving. You can save lives, including your own.
2. Speeding
You’re late for work. You’re late for curfew. The game starts in five minutes.
Or, the dreaded one: your wife is in labor.
Contrary to popular belief, none of these are good excuses for reckless speeding! That’s because no matter how “good” your reason, you can still cause a car accident.
Think about it: the faster you’re driving, the slower your reaction time. You literally have less time to react to an unexpected situation, like a mattress on the highway or the car in front of you slamming on their brakes.
Resist the temptation to speed (even if someone is trying to pass you) and you won’t cause these totally avoidable, often devastating impacts. Don’t let those other drivers on the freeway pressure you!
3. Drunk Driving
Isn’t it heartbreaking that the third leading cause of car accidents in the U.S. is drunk driving? You’d hope that such reckless, selfish behavior would be an anomaly, not the norm.
Drinking alcohol impairs your ability to think clearly and make sound judgment calls. Alcohol accounts for a staggering 40% of accidents that result in death!
Think about the lives you can change, ruin, and even take by drunk driving. Make the decision NOW to always use a designated driver. That way, when the time comes, you don’t have to rely on your judgment when you’re under the influence.
4. Reckless Driving
“Reckless driving” includes speeding, tailgating, swerving, changing lanes too quickly or without a blinker, passing too closely, and being overly aggressive. As a driver, you can avoid all of these dangerous things by just not doing them!
If another driver is being reckless in any of these ways, go out of your way to avoid them. Change lanes, slow down, let them pass — whatever is necessary. You don’t want to drive around them for too long because they might cause an accident.
Were you involved in a car accident and now have an injury? Read here for valuable legal information about knee injuries from automobile crashes.
5. Weather
Few things are scarier than driving in the pouring rain. The kind of rain that even your fastest windshield wipers can’t keep up with.
Or driving in the freezing cold when there’s black ice on the road. Or after rainfall when it’s easy to hydroplane.
Too many people don’t change their driving style with the weather! But if the weather is bad, so are the roads. Make the decision to drive slower and more carefully during and after rain, and especially when there’s ice.
6. Running Red Lights
Did you know that red-light running resulted in over 800 deaths in 2015? That includes blatantly running a red and trimming the yellow light!
You might not think this behavior is dangerous. But it causes daily accidents in the U.S., and, unfortunately, frequent deaths.
Red means stop. It means stop because other cars are going. Even on a right turn, make sure to come to a full stop and carefully observe the road before proceeding.
You can avoid causing a car accident by just following the law! If you’ve gotten out of the habit, get back in it!
7. Running Stop Signs
Bet you didn’t think that rolling through that stop sign was so serious, right? Did you know that running stop signs is the seventh leading cause of car accidents in America?
Too many people see the stop sign, but don’t see other cars coming, and assume they don’t need to stop. That is an unwise, dangerous, and sometimes even fatal mistake.
Many side-impact or “T-bone” accidents occur in the middle of 2-way or 4-way stops because one driver ran their stop sign. Remember, other drivers will assume that you’re going to follow the law and stop at the sign — how are they supposed to know that you plan on flying through it? That’s how terrible accidents happen.
Learn to Avoid the Seven Top Causes of Car Accidents in the U.S.!
Don’t be part of the six million car crashes in the U.S. every year. Don’t be a distracted, reckless, speeding, intoxicated, or careless driver. Don’t be a statistic!
The seven top causes of car accidents in the U.S. are largely avoidable, especially drunk and distracted driving. You can save your life and countless others’. You can choose to drive safely, smartly, and well-informed.
Check out our other informative articles about lifestyle and technology. Just not while you’re behind the wheel! Drive safe out there!
