Car accidents are relatively frequent. Even the best drivers aren’t immune to accidents. However, most accidents are certainly avoidable. It’s always advisable to practice safe driving to keep you and your family safe.
There’ll always be good and bad drivers. But when you’re behind the wheel, you don’t know who the good and bad drivers are. You have no control over what other drivers do, but you can control how you drive. So, even if you have the right of way at an intersection, it may be prudent to yield to a charging car to be safe.
Remember, car accidents can be fatal. So, it’s in your best interest to drive safely. If you’re looking for an incentive to drive prudently, look up the statistics for what state has the most car accidents in the US. Your state’s statistics may intrigue you. That said, here’s a list of the types of car accidents and how to avoid them.
- Intersection Accidents
Accidents frequently occur at intersections, especially uncontrolled ones. Intersection accidents usually occur when distracted drivers miss or ignore a traffic light. The best way to avoid such accidents is to practice defensive driving. Here’s how:
- Don’t Rely Solely On The Traffic Light – Before you go through an intersection on a green light, pause to check if both ways are clear.
- Avoid Distractions – Distractions are a recipe for disaster when driving. It’s particularly dangerous to be distracted when approaching an intersection.
- Keep An Eye Out For Pedestrians – Remember, pedestrians usually always have the right of way.
- Rear End Collisions
These types of incidents account for a sizable proportion of all car accidents. Because they’re so widespread, they also account for most vehicle insurance claims. Rear-end collisions can result from a multitude of scenarios. The most frequent cause of rear-end collisions is abrupt braking. However, it’s also conceivable for a driver to rear-end you because they were distracted or driving recklessly. Here’s how to avoid this accident from occurring:
- Don’t Drive Under The Influence – When you drive under the influence, you’re highly likely to exhibit reckless behaviors, which may lead to traffic accidents. Drugs can impair your sense of judgment which can cause you to miscalculate the distance between vehicles.
- Maintain A Safe Distance – You never know when the vehicle in front of you will apply the brakes. You must keep a safe distance from the car ahead of you to stop on time. You may need to increase this gap if the weather is bad or the vehicle in front of you is a large truck.
- Be Strategic – To avoid making mistakes while driving, it’s always vital to be vigilant. Avoid putting yourself in situations that require you to apply the brakes rapidly. If you suddenly apply the brakes, the car behind you may rear-end your vehicle.
- Stay Focused – Being distracted is one of the leading causes of accidents. Under no circumstances should you take your eyes off the road when driving. You shouldn’t respond to a text or answer a phone call while driving. Because if the motorist in front of you suddenly stops while you’re responding to a text, you may rear-end the vehicle.
- Blind Spot Accidents
Driver error is the root cause of blind spot accidents. Every vehicle has blind spots, and blind spots get bigger as vehicle size increases. Nevertheless, drivers should know their blind spots. Neglecting blind spots may lead to accidents. Fortunately, these accidents are very avoidable. Simply knowing and regularly checking your blind spots is all that is required.
- Single Vehicle Accidents
As the name implies, these are collisions that only involve one vehicle. They happen when a car collides with a road barrier, an animal, a tree, or debris. When traveling at high speeds, these accidents can be dangerous. But they’re completely preventable. Here’s how you can prevent them:
- Drive In The Right Weather – It’d be best not to go on the road at all if you know the weather will be bad. It’d help if you considered staying off the road, especially in winter, when the road may be very icy. However, if you must travel, ensure that you travel at reasonable speeds that allow you to control the car.
- Avoid Distractions – Even if you’re the only vehicle in sight, responding to a text message while driving isn’t a good idea. Avoid getting distracted at all costs.
- Don’t Over Speed – Speeding is a major cause of fatal accidents. You may suffer serious injuries or even lose your life if you hit a barrier at high speeds. If you’re the only person on the road, the situation is exacerbated because help may arrive too late. As such, you need to resist the temptation to go fast.
- Head On Collisions
These accidents are among the most dangerous, even though they aren’t as common as other types of accidents. Head-on collisions account for many fatalities. The damage is worsened if both vehicles travel at higher speeds. Here’s how to prevent head-on collisions:
- Avoid Distractions – Again, avoiding distractions is the best strategy for preventing head-on collisions.
- Don’t Drive Under The Influence – If you drive under the influence, you risk falling asleep and won’t be able to make accurate judgments while driving.
Conclusion
You may have noticed that avoiding distractions is a common preventative measure for most accidents mentioned in this list. This is because distraction is a major cause of most car accidents. You can avoid many accidents by removing distractions such as phones, loud music, and food. Also, it’s always best to practice defensive driving while on the road to ensure that you arrive alive.
