Getting into a car accident can lead to several unwanted consequences, including permanent injuries, loss of earnings, etc. Why not do everything you can to avoid a car accident in the first place then? Our San Diego car accident lawyers would like to help you understand the leading causes of car accidents, and therefore help you learn preventative measures for automobile accidents on the road.
While some of these car accident causes may seem obvious and redundant to experienced drivers, this list aims to educate all levels of drivers, from the teenage driver who just got his license, to the senior driver with 40 years experience behind the wheel.
Learning to drive a car takes many instructional hours behind the wheel, especially if that driver wants to avoid causing automobile accidents. Let our Top 25 Causes of Car Accidents be your guide towards a lifetime of car accident prevention not just in San Diego, but anywhere.
The Top Causes of Car Accidents on the Road
25 of the most common causes of car accidents include:
- Distracted Driving. Distracted drivers are the top cause of car accidents in the U.S. today.
- Speeding. Speed kills, and traveling above the speed limit is an easy way to cause a car accident.
- Drunk Driving. Driving under the influence of alcohol causes car accidents every day, even when they are one the top causes that can be avoided.
- Reckless Driving. Reckless driving is a moving violation in which a driver displays a disregard for the rules of the road
- Rain. Car accidents happen very often in the rain because water creates slick and dangerous surfaces for cars, trucks, and motorcycles
- Running Red Lights. Drivers that run red lights, run the risk of causing wrongful death because they often cause side-impact collisions at high speeds.
- Running Stop Signs. Each year, thousands of car accidents occur because one driver ran a stop sign. Many rollover accidents and side-impact car accidents result from drivers that run stop signs.
- Teenage Drivers. When teen drivers hit the roads they don’t always know what to do and that lack of experience ends up causing car accidents.
- Night Driving. Driving in the daylight can be hazardous, but driving at night nearly doubles the risk of a car accident occurring.
- Design Defects. Automobiles have hundreds of parts, and any of those defective parts can cause a serious car accident.
- Unsafe Lane Changes. When drivers don’t make safe lane changes properly, it often leads to a car accident.
- Wrong-Way Driving. When you go the wrong way, everyone is in danger because as you head towards a car accident.
- Improper Turns. The reason that we have stop lights, turn signals, and lanes designated for moving either right or left as opposed to straight is because when drivers ignore the rules of the road, car accidents are often the result.
- Tailgating. Many fatal car accidents have occurred when a motorist dangerously tailgated another driver at high speeds. You can prevent these car accidents by giving the car in front of you a one-car-length buffer for every 10 mph you drive.
- Driving Under the Influence of Drugs. It’s not only alcohol that is dangerous when mixed with drivers on the road. Drugs, both legal and illegal, can impair your ability to fully function as a driver.
- Ice. Ice is a major cause of car accidents for cities with cold weather climates.
- Snow. Like ice, cities with cold winters know all-too-well just how dangerous snow can be for commuters.
- Road Rage. By tailgating another driver in anger or speeding past another driver only to pull in front of them and brake, these road “ragers” cause many needless car accidents each year.
- Potholes. Drivers run the risk of losing control of their car or blowing out a tire when they drive over potholes.
- Driver Fatigue. Driver fatigue isn’t talked about a lot, but how well can we expect anyone to drive when they’re having trouble staying awake. Most of the car accidents caused by drowsy driving occur at night.
- Tire Blowouts. Tire blowouts can cause you to lose control of your vehicle, and they are especially dangerous for bigger automobiles like semi-trucks.
- Fog. Fog isn’t the most common weather occurrence, and that’s good news for car accidents statistics. Driving is a skill that requires the ability to see, but fog makes it extremely difficult to see sometimes more than a car length in front of you.
- Deadly Curves. Many motorists have lost control of their cars along a dangerous curve and lost their lives in a car accident.
- Animal Crossings. Wild animals will wade out into the street, and it’s up to you to make sure that you don’t get into a car accident with them.
- Street Racing. With turbo engines and nitrous oxide boosters, cars often reach very high speeds during a street race, making any resulting car accident much more dangerous and unlikely to yield any survivors.