Why Car Accidents Are a Leading Cause of Injury

Vehicular accidents happen every few minutes in the United States, making it the leading cause of injuries and death.

However, road safety is an issue not only in the United States but also globally. While progress has been made to reduce vehicular accidents through tougher traffic laws, there is still much to be improved.

In order to avoid getting into a car accident, people need to understand what mainly causes such accidents. Everybody knows road signs and traffic rules, otherwise, they wouldn’t have gotten a driver’s license.

However, there are still too many accidents occurring, which your Miami car accident attorney or an auto accident lawyer in your area can help you out with if you’ve been in one. That said, here are some of the top causes of car accidents:

1. 1. Distracted driving. There are a multitude of things that could distract a driver. If you are traveling with your family, your kids could easily distract you. It could be a child crying, someone spilled drinks in the car, arguments, or simply having an engaging conversation and you took your eyes away from the road for a second to look at the person you’re talking to. All these could distract you if you are not too careful. When you’re traveling with your family, let them know that you can’t be distracted from driving. You should travel with your partner or with another adult so when someone throws a tantrum or spills a drink, the other adult should take care of it. If no one can do this for you, you could simply pull over in a safe area and deal with whatever you need to deal with. One of the main distractions when driving, and most probably the most common these days, is the use of mobile phones. This is especially true for young adults. Most young adults use their phone to send SMS messages or they chat with friends while driving. People know the dangers of taking your eyes away from the road for a second or two yet they still use their phone. Composing a reply and sending it takes longer and this is why there are more car accidents caused by using a mobile phone.

1. Speeding. Speed limits have been put in place in almost every road, but many drivers still tend to overlook this. When you are driving and you increase speed, you have less control of the vehicle. This means that you are given less time to react when you are faced with hazardous conditions. Also, the faster the vehicle, the greater the risk because the impact will be harder. It takes longer for a car to stop when it is running at a high speed compared to a car that is running slow. Obeying simple traffic rules such as the speed limit can save a lot of lives daily. You may be a skilled driver, but speed limits are being enforced for many reasons. You simply cannot anticipate everything that’s going to happen on the road.
2. Drunk driving. Everybody knows you should not be driving while you’re under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, many people still risk their lives and the lives of others. Many people think they can still drive after a bottle or two. However, alcohol slows down a person’s response time. There are situations that could be easily avoided, but is just not possible when you have been drinking. Your brain could be telling you to step on the break, but because of the alcohol in your body, you fail to react immediately. Alcohol makes you concentrate less on a task and your judgment becomes clouded. In your head, you may seem okay, but your body movement says otherwise. Sometimes, it is also the use of drugs that causes vehicular accidents. Being under the influence of illegal or prescription drugs reduces concentration and coordination. So, when you have to go out with friends, family, or colleagues, make sure that you have a designated driver. If everybody in the event you’re going to is drinking, make sure that you are not. If you can’t help yourself, ask a family member to come and pick you up after the said event.

Conclusion

Understanding the causes of vehicular accidents is one way of helping prevent it. Technology is advancing, cars are equipped to run much faster and smoother, and better gadgets are being used inside the car.

But along with technological advancements is also the increase in mobile phone addiction. However, the facts remain the same: if you take your eyes away from the road a second too long, you could have an accident.

If you go over the speed limit, you have less control of your car and could crash. Drunk driving is dangerous. Avoid all these and you could help prevent unnecessary accidents in the future.

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