“Major Causes of Vehicle Collisions”

Vehicles collide with other vehicles, humans, or objects on a daily basis. This colliding is not a good thing. Being aware of the causes of vehicle collisions will allow drivers to be more aware and change some of their driving habits to decrease the number of major and minor wrecks. In this week's blog, we will look at the four major causes of collisions. 

Distracted- Distracted driving is the leading cause of collisions. Things like cell phones and food take our attention away from the road. This lack of focus causes drivers to miss much needed information about the road in front of them.

Impaired- Do not drive impaired. Call for a ride. With modern technology, this is easier than ever. Things like alcohol, some prescription drugs, or other depressants or stimulants can cause delays between what your mind sees and hears and how it acts. It can also decrease motor skills. 

Weather Related- The weather plays a major part in road safety. Drivers can not control the weather, but they can take steps to more safely drive in hazardous weather conditions like rain, snow, or fog. 

Overconfidence- Drivers can become overconfident in their driving abilities or the abilities of their vehicles. This normally leads to increased driving speeds. Not only do high speeds decrease the amount of time to react. They increase the amount of force that is created and transferred in the event of a collision. 

97% of traffic collisions are caused by human driver error. Only 3% of crashes are solely accidents like a meteor strike or a complete brake failure. The most dangerous locations for traffic collisions are locations with a lot of drivers. One especially dangerous location is intersections. Intersections bring multiple drivers together and force them to cross paths. Poorly kept roads are also something to be aware of in these colder months as less driven roads will often receive less attention potentially creating more dangerous road conditions. It is hard to prevent all road collisions. Drivers can only control the actions they take, but if everyone drives safer and understands the risks the road can be safer as a whole.