Road accidents are unavoidable. They are always likely to take place whether as a result of a natural cause or one that is purposeful. Road accidents lead to thousands of deaths annually and there are always precautions that one can take to prevent their occurrence or minimize their chances of taking place. Sometimes our own actions result in innocent lives being taken away. In today’s article, we’ll share with you 14 common reasons that lead to road accidents every day.

1.      Drinking

Driving under the influence of alcohol results in a loss in the ability to focus and concentrate; it’s no wonder why drinking under intoxication is one of the leading causes of road accidents. Road accidents as a result of drinking and driving occur on a daily basis. If you are guilty of this misdeamenor then be sure to take help from a Los Angelos DUI Lawyer. One should avoid getting in a car of someone who they know has drunk alcohol. Furthermore, drivers should avoid drinking alcohol themselves before they get into a vehicle. In addition, other drugs should also be avoided like cocaine, antidepressants, tranquillizers and more.

2.      Rain

It isn’t uncommon for there to be road accidents in the presence of rain. When it rains, the roads are said to be slippery. This prevents the tires from gripping onto the surface of the road properly. Hence the car tends to skids. Moreover, the presence of wet roads prevents the force of friction from taking place between the tire and the road. It is also true that during rainfall, there is also a concern with low visibility. Drivers should make sure to drive slow when it is raining or even after it has rained because the roads can still be wet.

3.      Snow and Ice

Imagine you driving a little fast to make it home due to some emergency. This slight increase in speed can result in your car spinning away. This occurs because ice makes roads slippery. Snow, on the other hand, is a mixture of both ice and water and this too can cause you to lose control of your car when driving and thereby result in a collision. It’s imperative to not drive when you know there is ice and snow on roads, drive slowly in case you have to make it somewhere and remove snow residue from the windows, windshield and roof of the car.

4.      Fog

You need to see clearly in order to drive correctly; if you can’t see you definitely can’t drive. Fog makes it very difficult for drivers to see what is in front of them. Fog puts a smoky blanket layer over the surface of roads. This makes it very difficult for drivers to drive because they don’t know what is up ahead. In worst-case scenarios, they may not even know what is around them. This leads to numerous road accidents each year. The best thing to do is to avoid driving in the presence of fog. However, if the fog isn’t so intense, then you should drive slowly and use fog lights when on the road.

5.      Tire Blowouts

Tire blowouts occur when a vehicle is overloaded and can’t handle the weight inside, and if there has been a puncture or damage done to the tires. A driver should always check the condition of the car tires per year so that you know of any damage done. After a time span of ten years, you should have the tyres replaced immediately. Tire blowouts cause you to lose control of your car and therefore result in an accident in which others can also be at risk. If you feel that something is amiss while driving or you know that a blowout is about to occur, safely and slowly pull over to avoid collisions.

6.      Potholes

A pothole is a small depression in a road surface. It is estimated that approximately 33,000 road accidents occur annually because of the presence of potholes. Potholes are dangerous because driving over a pothole can result in a tire blowing out or the driver can be at risk of losing control over his vehicle. This can result in a car accident. Drivers should be wary when driving and make sure to not drive over a pothole. The government should also take control and fill in these potholes with asphalts to avoid future accidents.

7.      Driving While Feeling Sleepy

Drowsy driving occurs when the driver hasn’t gotten enough sleep. Therefore he/she can end up sleeping while driving and hence resulting in an accident. This type of driving is also the result of fatigue. In case you didn’t know, feeling drowsy affects your ability to make decisions, slows your reaction time and reduces your focus. This is the perfect recipe for disaster when driving. All drivers should ensure that they have gotten enough sleep before they go behind the wheel. Moreover, drivers should also avoid taking medication that could induce drowsiness. If the driver has a sleeping disorder like sleep apnea, then he/she should make regular stops.

8.      Distracted Driving

Approximately 25% of all road accidents are the result of distraction. One of the most common causes of distracted driving is the use of cellphones. People who choose to talk and text when driving are at great risk of an accident. Other causes of distracted driving include eating while driving, fiddling with the AC or audio system, paying attention to other occupants in the car, such as a baby, and more. When driving, all drivers should concentrate and focus on the road ahead. This is the best way to prevent yourself from being distracted and avoid accidents.

9.      Speeding

It’s no doubt that speeding will ultimately lead to a collision either with another car or another object. Speed limits are on roadsides for a reason – they help prevent over speeding thereby avoiding an accident. When drivers go past the speed limit, they immediately increase their chance of getting in an accident. Some people simply enjoy the thrill of driving fast. We all need to understand that driving fast kills. Though there has been a decline in speed driving in recent years, it’s still pretty common and can easily be avoided if drivers follow the speed limit.

10. Police Car Chases

Believe it or not, police car chases are another cause of road accidents. It’s said that high-speed police car chases result in hundreds of deaths annually. It’s vital to catch someone that is causing havoc on the road and when trying to do so, it’s of no doubt that the suspect will try to make sure that he escapes being caught and so does everything in his/her ability to prevent this. If this means hitting another car to make way for him to make a way out, he will.

11.  Crossing Red Lights

It’s crucial that every driver knows what each color on each traffic light stands for. This will result in smooth traffic – after all, that’s what the traffic signs are supposed to assist in. Many car accidents occur annually because drivers cross run red lights. Red means to stop whereas the green light signals to go. Side-impact collisions are the most common type of crashes that occur when a driver runs the red light. Moreover, all drivers should look both ways before they drive the car forward.

12.  Night Driving

Driving in the night can be very unsafe. This is because in the presence of darkness, you won’t know what’s up ahead. Hence, there is a higher chance of an accident taking place. It’s said that driving at night nearly doubles the risk of a car accident. Another major factor that results in accidents in the night is our ability to perceive and judge distance in the night isn’t very strong. Drivers also tend to get sleepy during the night as well. In order to prevent accidents in the night, drivers should keep their car headlights on at all time and drive slowly without any distractions.

13. Teenage Driving

For a teen getting their drivers license is a pretty exciting thing. Unfortunately, as thrilling as driving can be for novices, it is dangerous. Teen drivers are very careless and due to a lack of experience with going behind the wheel, they do get themselves into a lot of accidents. In order to have a youth that is safer at driving, we need first to ensure that at least for 6 months, a teen should drive in the presence of an adult. Moreover, they should avoid driving when tired, under the influence of alcohol and within a speed limit.

14.  Improper Turns

Making an improper turn is a significant cause of road accidents. Stop signs, traffic lights, turn signals, and more are all there to guide us when we are driving so that traffic runs seamlessly. However, when we fail to follow traffic signals and signs, we run the risk of getting caught in an accident. This is something we need to avoid. To do this, we should adequately follow road signals and obey traffic guidelines. Moreover, drivers should also make sure to turn safely and slowly when approaching a curve, notably a sharp one.