The Five Most Common Causes of Car Accidents

About 90 people are going to die in fatal car accidents today. What’s more, about two million suffer permanent injuries from bad car accidents every year. It’s scary to acknowledge, but the car accidents statistics don’t lie.

So how is it that there’s such an overwhelming number of bad car accidents? Here are the the most common causes of car accidents, so that you know what not to do, and can avoid such catastrophic incidents.

Distracted Driving
The thing that causes the most bad car accidents isn’t actually a drunk driver or a speeding motorist, but one who’s not paying close enough attention to the road. Eating, putting makeup on, texting, and many other things can take a driver’s eyes off the road, and put them at extreme risk of causing a collision.

Speeding
Even though it’s wrong, many drivers tend to think of the speed limit as a suggestion, and not a law, driving 10 or 20 miles per hour over it. Traveling at high speeds is a good way to cause an accident, since the faster someone drives, the less reaction time they’ll have in the event that someone else pulls out in front of them or brakes suddenly.

Drunk Driving
According to the CDC, drinking and driving causes about one third of daily fatal motor accidents, claiming the lives of about 30 people each day, which results in one death every 48 minutes. Drinking impairs one’s senses, focus, and judgment. Even when a little buzzed, a person’s reaction time is simply not what it should be.

Reckless Driving
Changing lanes too quickly, failing to use a turn signal, and tailgating are all forms of reckless driving that can result in bad car accidents. If you see someone who’s driving aggressively, be careful to avoid them, as you may become one of their victims.

Failing to Stop
Red means stop, but apparently not to some people. Drivers who run stop signs and red lights put themselves and others at risk, often causing bad car accidents in the form of high-speed, side-impact collisions. This is why it’s important to look both ways when approaching any intersection.

It’s not enough to simply avoid these causes. There are dozens of other things that result in bad car accidents. The key is to be a defensive driver who pays full attention to the road. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments.