You probably didn’t know this, but distracted driving is the #1 cause of car accidents in the United States (and for the rest of the world as well). It’s quite an epidemic since folks can’t help picking up their phones to text their friends or loved ones, or even browsing their phones for directions or music while driving.
There are many other reasons why people get into car accidents as well. In the article below, we will discuss some of the top factors. Don’t forget to hire a car accidents lawyer in Houston, Texas if you get into a particularly dangerous crash, so you don’t lose your entire future due to this one mistake.
Speeding
As we said, distracted driving is the number one reason why people get into car crashes, but a close second is speeding. It seems like people are always trying to push the boundaries of how fast they can drive without getting caught.
It seems to a lot of people that speed limits are there only for show, but that’s not actually the case. Road engineers and other urban architects pay a lot of attention to the way roads are set up and research many conditions before deciding on a particular speed limit for a stretch of road.
The speed might dip because the road passes by a school or a hospital or has lots of twists and turns that could result in crashes if not navigated slowly. Or the speed might go back up again because the road is straight and steady without many turns or intersections.
Follow the speed limits set up not only because you wish to avoid fines from the police officers waiting to catch you, but also because you wish to protect yourself and your loved ones from a dangerous car accident.
Drunk Driving
This is probably the reason for car accidents that gets the most press and media coverage. Most people understand the dangers of drinking and driving and avoid it by getting a designated driver, using Uber, or grabbing a taxi or public transport.
But there are still countless others that end up driving after a night or day of drinking, putting people’s lives in danger, be it the poor pedestrians that might be crossing the street in front of them unawares, or the other vehicles that are driving next to them.
No matter how little you’ve had to drink (or how much), always avoid driving after drinking alcohol and/or smoking marijuana. Don’t drive when you have alcohol or drugs in your system.
If you notice someone in your friend’s circle or anyone around you getting into a car when they have had alcohol, it’s your responsibility to stop them from making this dangerous mistake.
Got caught with alcohol in your system that’s higher than the allowable limits of your state? Get ready to hire a lawyer to ensure you don’t end up with a heavy jail sentence.
Reckless Driving
Reckless driving is another one of those car accident factors that’s easily avoided. As with speed limits, some folks believe that the rules of the road are put in place just for show, and don’t truly need to be followed.
But that’s not truly the case. There’s a very good reason for every traffic rule out there. And reckless drivers are the ones who ignore all the rules of the road, driving very dangerously, which causes accidents or other damage.
Whatever your reason for reckless driving, there are no valid excuses for it. Unless you are driving your pregnant partner to the hospital because she’s having contractions (and even then), it’s extremely important to follow the rules of the road, so you can keep yourself and everyone else on the road safe.
Fatigue
This factor for car accidents is becoming more common as folks in modern society are sleeping less and less, and spending their days in a haze of fatigue and exhaustion. It could be a one-off thing where you had to put in some overtime to get a project out or it could be a long-term lack of sleep due to illness or poor health.
Truck drivers and other folks who drive for work are also prone to fatigue as they drive long distances trying to meet their quotas and the time constraints placed on them by their employers.
Whatever the reason for your fatigue, if you feel tired behind the wheel, do not keep driving. Stop at the first rest area, take a short nap, and once you feel less fatigued drive on.
You could even splash your face with cold water, walk around a bit, and drink some coffee before getting behind the wheel again.
Take as long as necessary for you to feel awake again and only then start driving again. If you feel sleepy again after a bit of driving, pull over and take another nap to quell the fatigue in your body. There’s no point in getting to your destination if you aren’t going to get there in one piece.
If you fall asleep behind the wheel while driving (even if just for a few seconds), you could hit another vehicle and cause a severe car accident, without being aware of it. Don’t let that happen to you.
Running Red Lights
Everyone seems to be in a rush nowadays to get somewhere else. But in a lot of cases, getting there five or ten minutes faster isn’t worth running red lights or doing something else dangerous like that.
Even if it’s the middle of the night and you think running a red light won’t be dangerous, you never know. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
But getting into a car crash because you ran a red light will ruin your life or at least impact it negatively. If you were in a car crash due to this factor, then hire a car accident lawyer to fight your case for you.
Young Drivers
The more experienced you are as a driver, the easier you can navigate all the curveballs that the road and other drivers throw at you. But this skill might take years to develop fully.
Young drivers (or new drivers whatever their age might be) don’t have that experience behind them yet and therefore, are more prone to get into car accidents. It’s also that young drivers are overconfident about their skills, not realizing that they are not as great of drivers as they imagine they are.
Taking defensive driving lessons or just putting in more time behind the wheel with a driving school can help alleviate this problem slightly.
Make sure to have a conversation with the young or new drivers in your family so they understand that six months of driving experience isn’t enough to be good drivers.
Being careful behind the wheel no matter how much experience you have is crucial to avoid car accidents. Don’t let your ego tell you otherwise.
Weather Conditions
Another factor that you can’t do much about is weather conditions.
Make sure to avoid the roads when the weather outside is particularly chaotic or miserable. If you don’t need to go out during a snowstorm, then don’t. Stay at home, avoid using food delivery apps, and contend with hibernating until the storm passes.
Also, if you aren’t comfortable driving in the snow then consider taking a course on defensive driving that can help drive better on snowy or slippery wet roads. This could help you quite a bit in those situations where you would normally panic like when your wheels lock and you aren’t sure what to do.
Make sure to check the tires on your vehicle regularly and put on snow tires if you live in a place where you get heavy snowfall. Don’t drive around wet or snowy roads with worn-out tires without any tread on them.
Also, replace your windshield wipers regularly so that you aren’t trying to squint through your translucent windshield at the road ahead. Visibility is important during snow or rain storms, so do everything you can to keep that up.
Hire a Car Accidents Lawyer in Houston, Texas
No matter how careful you are behind the wheel, sometimes things happen beyond your control and you get into a car accident due to it. Well, sometimes car accidents are minor and you have nothing to worry about.
But if you have gotten into an accident that seems like it could harm your future or even result in a jail sentence, then you need to hire a car accidents lawyer in Houston, Texas. Contact us today if you are still searching for one.