Top 5 Most Common Causes of Car Crashes

Car crashes rob thousands of people of their lives every year. Since most of these crashes stem from human carelessness, they can be easily avoided.

To avoid accidents, you should always be mindful of traffic rules and regulations. Because although you may be able to repair your car with sites like dinggo after an accident, lost lives and health can never be replaced.

In this article, we’ve identified the top 5 causes of car crashes that you should know about so you can avoid them and make your road experience fun and safe for not only yourself but also the people around you.

Table of Contents

1. Distracted Driving

According to research, around 25-50% of all car accidents are caused by distracted driving, which makes it a leading cause of car accidents.

Distracted driving is when the driver doesn’t have his complete attention on the road and is focused on something else.

The main types of distracted driving are:

Visual. This type involves the driver taking his eyes off the road. This could be extremely dangerous even if it’s for a split second because the driver will not be able to detect and respond if anything comes in front of the car suddenly.

Example: Looking at the infotainment screen.

Cognitive. Cognitive distraction is when the driver is actively focusing on something else.

Example: Listening to an audiobook or talking to somebody.

Manual. A driver is said to be manually distracted when he doesn’t have his hands on the driving wheel.

Example: Eating while driving.

Texting while driving is a perfect example of distracted driving because it combines all three types — you are focused on typing with your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road.

2. Driving Under the Influence

Drugs such as alcohol, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, and methamphetamines dull your senses and diminish your ability to think, concentrate, judge, and coordinate. This makes you extremely unfit for driving while under the influence of a drug.

A drunk driver may brake erratically, swerve between lanes, overspeed, jump red lights, and drive recklessly, endangering the safety of the people on the road.

That’s why if you ever find yourself far from home while drunk, find a sober person to drop you home because getting behind the wheel while intoxicated is one of the surest ways to get into a car accident.

3. Over-Speeding

Many people exceed the legal speed limits to reach their destination faster. What they don’t realize is that overspeeding can lead to accidents by decreasing the reaction time the driver has. The faster you drive, the less time you’ll have to react.

According to the WHO, every 1% increase in average speed leads to a 4% increase in the risk of a fatal crash.

Speeding also magnifies the damage from an accident. For example, a collision at 20 Mph would be way less damaging than a crash at 100 Mph.

Remember, even if you feel that your reason for overspeeding is a genuine one, stay well under the allowed speed limits because getting late is better than never reaching your destination.

4. Rash Driving

Rash driving is driving a vehicle with disregard for traffic rules and the safety of other people and property. Overspeeding is just one example of rash driving. Here are some more examples of careless driving that can end up in fatal accidents.

Tailgating is when you drive too closely behind another vehicle. Not having enough distance keeps you from reacting to sharp brakes by the driver in front and you may end up rear-ending his car.

Going the wrong way and making improper U-turns. Drivers disregarding traffic signs can easily make these mistakes, which is why it’s important to be aware of street warning signs, especially in unfamiliar areas.

Jumping red lights is really the dumbest thing a driver can do. Even if it seems like the intersection is empty and no other car is coming, don’t ever try to jump red lights.

Sudden swerving across the lanes without indicating leaves motorists in other lanes with very little chance to react and prevent an accident.

5. Unsuitable Weather

Bad weather conditions such as fog, rain, snow, and hail can dramatically reduce road safety by reducing visibility, increasing slipping, decreasing traction, and hiding large potholes.

To drive safely during these harsh weather conditions, make sure you drive slower than normal and keep an extra distance between you and other cars, which will give you extra time to react to sudden changes and maneuver your car around dangerous potholes.

Here is some helpful information on how to drive safely in adverse weather conditions.