We typically hear about car accidents happening due to distracted drivers or poor weather conditions.  But that isn’t always the case.  There are quite a few reasons for car accidents to occur that are quite surprising.

Rubbernecking

We’ve all seen this driver before.  Someone is pulled over on the side of the road or there has been an accident, and the driver in front of you slows to stare.  Is it someone they know?  Can they see what’s going on with the individual on the side of the road?  Either way their attention has been pulled from where it should be, the road.  This can cause the rubbernecking driver to not see a turn in the road, the car in front of them braking, or other traffic information that could potentially cause an accident.  In fact it’s such a problem that a 2003 study by Virginia Commonwealth University Transportation Safety Center showed it was the nationwide leading cause of car accidents in that year.  This causes more trips to the collision center.

Driver Fatigue

Driving while tired has been a topic of concern as of late.  While it’s always been a topic of concern, it’s become more and more prevalent recently, due to studies that show the similarity of driver fatigue to drunk driving. In fact, staying awake for longer than 18 hours and driving is the equivalent of driving while having a blood alcohol level of .08%.  More surprising is that a reported 13% of commercial truck accidents were due to fatigued drivers, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Night Driving

This one goes hand in hand with driver fatigue.  Often times individuals drive during the night without getting proper rest first.  In fact, the U.S. Department of Transportation recommends individuals not drive during midnight to 6 am.  Not only is driver fatigue an issue during night driving, but visibility becomes an issue at night.  Night driving can effect depth perception of speed and distance.

Aggressive Drivers

Often times car accidents are caused by aggressive drivers.  We see individuals who cut other drivers off, swerve recklessly through traffic, and ignore traffic signs.  Not giving traffic laws their due, aggressive drivers can cause accidents by not seeing what the drivers around them are doing.  If there is a distracted driver on the road plus a reckless driver, this almost always equals disaster.

Car Maintenance

If a vehicle hasn’t been properly serviced it can cause issues while driving.  Poorly serviced cars can have tires explode, engines fail, and other potentially hazardous issues while driving down the road.  This can cause a dangerous driving experience for the driver of the vehicle as well as those on the road near them.  Car issues are easily preventable if drivers would get their regularly scheduled maintenance done on their vehicles.

In fact, all of the things on this list are easily avoidable.  Don’t drive while drowsy, or aggressively, or when your vehicle is in need of maintenance, or stare at those who might be pulled over on the side of the road.  Keep 100% of your attention on the road, where it belong when you are behind the wheel of a vehicle.  Doing so might save you and others a trip to your local collision center.

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Written by: Nicole Weisbrich