Causes of Car Accidents
For many people, driving a vehicle is an everyday activity. People rely on their cars to get to work, school, and other important places. However, driving can be dangerous, and although weather conditions and car malfunctions can contribute to accidents, the behavior of drivers is most often the cause of accidents. The three main causes of car accidents are poorly trained drivers, distracted drivers, and impaired drivers.
One cause of car accidents is poorly trained drivers. Drivers who don’t follow the rules of the road can be putting themselves and others at risk. For example, drivers who exceed the speed limit will have a more difficult time stopping or turning if something, such as an animal, crosses their path. In addition, there are road signs that drivers need to recognize, understand, and obey. Other drivers cannot tell how people who do not obey road signs will drive, and this unpredictability can lead to accidents. Finally, not checking blind spots and not being aware of one’s surroundings can result in a collision. A driver who is not aware of what is around his or her vehicle may crash into other cars or objects, not realizing they are there. For these reasons, poorly trained drivers can cause accidents.
Distracted drivers are another cause of car accidents. Driving is a task that requires the driver’s full attention, so performing other tasks while driving can lead to an accident. For example, people who talk on their cell phone while driving are limiting their abilities, since talking on a cell phone often requires the use of one hand and takes some concentration. Cell phones are not the only distraction; drivers will often work on laptops, put on makeup, and do other activities. If a driver is doing these things, he or she is not focused on the road. The driver then may, for example, not notice if a car has stopped in front of him or her and collide with that car. Drivers should wait until they have reached their destination to perform other tasks, as such activities often lead to accidents.
A final cause of car accidents is impaired drivers. Drinking and driving is something that is obviously dangerous. A driver’s ability to drive a car is seriously lessened when he or she is under the influence of alcohol, and many accidents have been caused by people who were drunk driving. Driving while under the influence of drugs is also dangerous. Often illegal drugs impair a driver as much as alcohol. For example, drugs such as LSD can cause visual hallucinations, and drivers may swerve recklessly to avoid yellow dancing rabbits. Even legal drugs, like medications, should be used with caution if the user is going to be driving. Some of these drugs can make the user drowsy, and this state will slow the driver’s reaction time to things happening. All of these influences can certainly lead to car accidents.
Driving is difficult, and drivers have a responsibility to drive with great care and attention. An inability to do so can result in a car accident. Accidents are caused by many things; however, three of the most significant causes are poorly trained drivers, distracted drivers, and impaired drivers. As long as these types of drivers remain on the road, accidents will happen.