SpiritOne
Car crashes continue to be one of the leading causes of death in the United States of America. According to the data available on Association for Safe International Travel’s webpage, each year, 38000 people lose their lives to road accidents in America. Moreover, The World Health Organization’s road safety report 2018 confirmed that every 24 seconds, someone dies on the road, affirming that car collisions are significantly responsible for the loss of lives worldwide.
And the most unfortunate aspect of traffic accidents and major road pile-ups is that most of them are preventable. This means there is pretty much always a blunder or misjudgment on someone’s part, which leads to a collision. Yet drivers continue to operate wheels recklessly, resulting in tragic and untimely fatalities.
If you don’t wish to become another statistic in road traffic crashes, you should drive responsibly. And be sure to avoid the following thoughtless driving practices that are the most common causes of collisions.
Driving When Exhausted
As simple as it may seem, steering a vehicle is not actually all that easy. It’s a complex activity that requires an alert mind, which a person cannot have if they are tired or burned out.
Because driving is such a common practice, many people believe or rather like to think they can control a car even in their sleep. When in reality, that’s just a truism thrown flippantly around in conversations.
Getting behind the wheels when tired is arguably one of the most unwise decisions a person can make when on the road. Exhaustion generally slows down a driver’s mind and dulls their reflexes, which means they might not be able to make quick judgments crucial for controlling a car.
Don’t risk your life or anyone else’s by driving when drained out or sleep-deprived.
How to Avoid A Collision From Driving Exhausted
If you are tired and have to be somewhere no matter what, take a quick nap before hitting the road. Or, if possible, hire a driver or request an Uber to reach your destination.
Distracted Driving
Your phone rings, blinking your boss’s name on the screen while you have your hands on the steering wheel of your car, and you answer it instinctively without any reservations.
If the scene we just described sounds familiar to you, then you might want to reassess your behavior because driving when distracted is more dangerous than you think. In America, each day, 9 people are killed because of distracted driving. Making it one of the most common causes of collisions.
Using smartphones, reaching for an object, settling down rowdy kids in the backseat, eating while driving are all distractions that lead to collisions on the road.
How to Avoid A Collision
When controlling a vehicle, try to keep your focus on the road, and if you need to deal with something, such as answer a call or stop the brawl happening in your backseat, pull over.
Drunk Driving/Stoned Driving
It’s a fact that drunk driving is responsible for a massive number of car crashes all over the world. However, many drivers still get behind the wheel after they have had a few drinks or consumed drugs.
Even if you are a heavy drinker, who can hold their alcohol well, you shouldn’t attempt to navigate your car while intoxicated because your judgment will not be as sound as it should be. Intoxication leads to delayed responses, unclear vision, poor judgment, and overall impaired cognitive abilities-which are fundamental for driving. Therefore, don’t put your hands on the steering wheel of your (or anyone else’s) car if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
How to Avoid
Never go out for drinks without making proper arrangements for the ride back home. Either take a designated driver with you or catch a cab to get home. And if you are at a friend’s place, consider spending the night there if you can’t find a ride.
Hasty Driving At Intersections
When we say hasty driving, we don’t mean speeding- that’s a separate issue altogether. The practice of piloting an automobile rashly is more often than not observed at/near intersections. Many times, drivers make a sharp turn or run red lights when reaching an intersection in hopes of crossing the road by just a hair.
As enticing as that may be, making hasty decisions behind the wheels at a junction to simply save a minute or two is not worth the potential risks that come with it. So, don’t rush when you spot a stop signal. Wait your turn instead of making a rash choice.
How to Avoid
Stay away from intersection chaos by not running red lights or making abrupt turns. Waiting a minute or two is not the end of the world, especially if your life hangs in the balance.
Driving In Bad Weather
Another common cause of collisions on the road is driving in inclement weather. Heavy rainfall, snow, hail, windstorm, or any other severe weather conditions are not safe to go out for a drive-regardless of the reason. Even if you have a meeting or need to get to an appointment, you should wait out the stormy elements outside before getting your hands on the steering wheel of your vehicle.
Bad Weather Safety Tips
Naturally, if you want to avoid getting into a road accident when the climate is not that gentle, don’t rev up your car’s engine. And thanks to the advanced technological gadget known as the smartphone, you can have a video call and be virtually present wherever it is that you have to be.
Speeding is a common cause of collisions
Throttling the engine and seeing the speedometer needle make a 360-degree turn can be intoxicatingly thrilling, but it’s more dangerous than many realize. When drivers make a habit of going above the speed limit (and doing so successfully), they begin to believe that they have absolute control over their car.
However, that’s not true. No matter how sure you are of your ability to stop a bolting vehicle, you should never put yourself in such a situation because speeding leaves less time for you to bypass obstructions and hazards on the road.
How to Avoid
Don’t let the adrenalin rush of accelerating past the speed limit control you and avoid going over the recommended engine velocity.
Many people think that they are invincible as drivers and that they can never get into car crashes until they do one day. Don’t risk your and other drivers’ life by driving irresponsibly!
