Top 5 Reasons Why Car Accidents Happen
While millions of Americans drive every day there’s no denying that accidents often happen. Even with modern being outfitted with advanced safety features, accidents still happen and can range from minor fender benders to major crashes that result in life-threatening injuries. While there are plenty of reasons why a car accident might happen, we’ll break down five top reasons.
- Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a major cause of car crashes and while we tend to think of people causing a crash while talking on their cellphone, there can be many examples of distracted driving. Essentially, anything that takes a driver’s attention off the road can be an example of distracted driving. While a broad category, major examples are:
- Talking and texting on a cellphone or even using a hands-free device
- Eating or drinking
- Changing the radio station
- Having multiple people in the vehicle causes distractions — anything from a group of friends singing along to a song to a mother trying to stop a fight in the backseat.
Chances are just about any driver has engaged in distracted driving, but you should always do your best to limit distracted driving.
- Impaired Driving
You should never drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Doing so greatly hampers your ability to react and may prompt you to engage in reckless driving. In addition to drugs and alcohol, other forms of impaired driving can be drowsy driving or driving when you’re not in the right state of mind, i.e. driving when angry.
- Bad Weather
Bad weather often means snow or rainstorms and can be deadly while driving for several reasons. While rain will make roads slippery and obscure eyesight, a big snowstorm will amplify these bad conditions and can even make your car slide off the road. Sometimes not even a vehicle with four-wheel drive or even a semi-truck is immune. It’s best to avoid driving in bad weather whenever possible. In the case of snowstorms, you might also want to avoid the roads a few days afterward.
- Running Stop Signs or Red Lights
Whether on accident or on purpose, running a stop sign or a red light greatly increases your chance of getting into a car crash. They can especially be bad at an intersection with many cars coming in from all directions. It’s best to be extremely cautious when coming onto a stop sign or red light. Don’t be afraid to take extra time to move once a light turns green.
- Road Conditions
While interstate and highway roads are generally well-maintained, the same can’t be said about all roads. A road with crumbling infrastructure or poorly marked signage can cause a car accident, even more so when combined with bad weather conditions or other factors.
These are the five top reasons why car accidents happen and while knowing these reasons can help you avoid car accidents, they can still happen. By working with a car accident lawyer you can seek compensation following an accident. Our friends at Greenberg Law Offices can help!