Many drivers don’t think about getting into car accidents. They have confidence that they are a good driver and that accidents only happen to other people. This false confidence tends to lead to complacency and unfortunately may end with them being involved in an accident after all. There are many reasons why accidents happen and the blame falls in different places. This article aims to inform you about some of the common reasons why driving accidents happen and who is to blame.
Unseen Motorbikes
One of the most common driving accidents to occur is collisions with motorbikes. Due to their small size, in comparison to a car, they can be harder to see. This is especially true at night time when it is particularly dangerous to drive. Motorcyclists get a bad reputation for having a disregard for road safety, speeding, and overtaking cars in an unsafe way. This reputation is so ingrained that many insurance companies bias against motorcyclists. Unfortunately, this is a case of a few bad apples making it worse for law-abiding motorcyclists. It is especially unfair given that if a driver doesn’t see you but you weren’t doing anything wrong then that isn’t your fault. Unseen motorbikes are one of the most common causes of driving accidents.
Distracted Driving
Many people find it hard not to check their phones every few minutes. Although it is illegal in most countries to use a phone whilst driving a car, people still do. Even if you are stuck in traffic you really shouldn’t pick up your phone. By taking your attention off the road, you instantly make yourself much more likely to crash. Driving whilst distracted is extremely dangerous and leads to many accidents. What’s worse, if you do have an accident whilst looking at your phone, the blame will be squarely placed on you. Even if the other driver was driving a little recklessly, you would be at primary fault as you wouldn’t have been able to react to get out of the way and avoid the collision. Distracted driving is a very common cause of road accidents.
Drunk Driving
Unfortunately, drunk driving is still a big cause of road accidents. Although laws have been in place for a long time, some people still believe they can push the limits. Alcohol does affect different people in different ways, one pint for a small person might be the same as two for a big person but the units ingested are still equal. Moreover, if you had drunk over the legal limit and were involved in a crash, you would be considered to be driving drunk, even if you felt completely sober. Drunk driving is still a common cause of road accidents.
Speeding
We’ve all been late or in a rush to get somewhere, and the temptation to speed may cross our minds. It’s very easy just to put your foot down a little in the knowledge that you’ll get there a bit quicker. Sadly, many people fall for this temptation and end up in an accident. Speed limits are in place to make the roads as safe as possible. The faster you go the longer your stopping distance is. This means it will be harder to break in time to avoid a collision. As with drunk driving or distracted driving, if you speed then you are going to be held responsible for the collision. Speeding is a common reason why driving accidents happen.
Tiredness
Fatigue on the road is one of the biggest causes of driving accidents. When you are tired your guard is generally down and you are not able to react sufficiently quickly. If you actually fall asleep at the wheel then you will immediately lose control of the car and inevitably crash. Working out who is at fault when there is a collision because someone is overly tired is difficult as it is hard to prove. Even if they literally fell asleep, it would be hard to know exactly what happened. Driving whilst overly tired is a major cause of driving accidents.
Be Safe Out There
Due to the nature of roads, even if you are the safest driver ever, you can’t be certain that you won’t end up in an accident. However, if you try to avoid these common reasons for driving accidents you should be a lot less likely to have an incident. If you can be sure that you are driving safely and not doing any of the things listed above, then you should be safe in the knowledge that any accidents probably won’t be your fault.
