Traffic accidents are a fact of life, but they don't have to be. There are many different types of traffic accidents, and it's up to you to avoid them. In this blog post, we'll go over the most common kinds of traffic accidents and how you can prevent them from happening to you!
Rear-end collision:
The most common type of traffic accident is the rear-end collision. This happens when one car crashes into the back of another car. To avoid this, always make sure you have plenty of space between your car and the car in front of you. If someone is tailgating you, pull over to the side of the road and let them go by.
Single-vehicle crashes:
These types of accidents usually involve teenagers and are quite common. They happen when a vehicle crashes with a stationary object, usually because they have lost control of the vehicle. This could be because of adverse weather conditions, icy roads, and slippery surfaces, over-correcting mistakes, or braking too hard. Sadly, alcohol use is becoming more common too.
Clipping cars while merging:
Merging cars as well as cars around those who are merging, are at risk of being sideswiped. These crashes are usually the result of failure on the part of the merging driving to adequately check all blind spots. To avoid these crashes, always look around you and check all blind spots before changing lanes.
Low-speed accidents:
These types of crashes are probably not the worst, but they can still do damage. Fender-benders, bumps, parking lot collisions, and other crashes under ten miles per hour of speed, often happen in parking lots and residential areas. This also places the lives and well-being of pedestrians at risk too.
“T-Bone” or cross-traffic accidents:
Collisions at intersections where traffic crosses multiple lanes in different directions are usually referred to as T-Bone accidents. This is usually caused by a driver running a red light or stop, or by taking a left turn without yielding to the oncoming traffic, as required by law. There may also be different regulations in different areas and drivers may be unfamiliar with local or state rules when it comes to turning on red.
Most of these car accident situations are caused by one of three causes: your driver, their driver, or mechanical failure. Additionally, sometimes unavoidable natural causes are to blame as well such as falling rocks or animals.
From tons of data collected over many years of research and surveys, there is one common cause for most accidents - driver negligence. This isn’t always malicious but the result is always the same, and so to prevent these accidents from occurring in the first place, drivers have got to be more vigilant and aware.
Quite obviously, alcohol and other intoxicating substances should never be consumed before driving. Even small amounts of alcohol can affect your ability to make quick decisions and respond to conditions around you. If you’re traveling long distances, then regular breaks are recommended every two hours and if you have a licensed driver with you, take turns in driving duties so that everyone is suitably rested and alert.
Sadly, motor vehicle accidents are going to be a reality in our modern lives for quite some time. While the advancement of driverless vehicles promises a reduction in motor vehicle incidents on the road, this is still quite some time in the future for the vast majority of road users.
