5 Most Common Reasons For Car Accidents

Cars are becoming safer and safer, with things like lane departure alerts, and even cars that will automatically slow you down or stop if you get too close to other vehicles. Unfortunately that doesn’t always help the user error part of driving. Are these new features helping to keep us safe, or making us lazier drivers, thinking the car will do all the work?

Here are 5 of the most common reasons for car accidents.

Distracted Driving

This has always been a problem, but with the advancements of technology and our busy world, there are even more things to distract you while driving than before. Not only are people more distracted thanks to phones, videos, and other technology, but we still have the same distractions that we’ve always had: children, pets, food, makeup…the list can go on and on.

Drunk Driving

Drunk driving accidents are 100% avoidable. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of individuals who put their lives and the lives of others on the road in danger. Alcohol impairs judgment and reaction times, and unfortunately, that’s impaired judgment occurs when an intoxicated individual believes they can get behind the wheel. With taxis readily available and the introduction of ride shares like Uber and Lyft, there’s really no reason for this to still be one of the leading causes of accidents.

Aggressive Driving

We all know how annoying it can be being stuck behind a slow driver; someone who will only drive ten mph under the speed limit and won’t move out of the way. However, speeding, tailgating, and changing lanes aggressively or without a blinker is dangerous driving behavior. It can be disastrous for the driver as well as others on the road. When you drive aggressively, you’re not driving defensively, which puts you at greater risk of an accident.

Road Rage

While this goes hand in hand with aggressive driving, road rage is sometimes aimed specifically at another driver to intimidate them or cause them problems. It’s important to not engage in road rage, and to keep a calm, smart sense of self while driving.

Poor Maintenance

Unfortunately things like brake lines, tires, and engines can fail while driving, which can cause a problem and potential accident. It’s important to keep your vehicle up to date on all it’s scheduled maintenance and make sure you keep your tires in good working condition. Following up on scheduled maintenance can help prevent accidents and keep your car out of the body shop, and you and others out of the hospital.

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