The need to reduce traffic accidents is simple: it saves lives and prevents damages and injuries. It saves you from the financial hassle of fixing your car and paying for the hospital bill after injuries. Avoiding road accidents will also save you from the emotional trauma of losing people in your life after a serious driving injury.
Causes of Road Accidents
According to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, road crashes account for most of the deaths in the United States. Road accidents and crashes are quite avoidable, but the question is, why is it so common? And it’s not only in the United States; it happens all around the world as well.
There are existing rules regarding driving that are supposed to prevent crashes and accidents from happening. However, people are usually not responsible enough to be acquainted with these rules; some, on the other hand, are too relaxed and ignore the existing rules.
We, therefore, conclude that most of the road crashes and accidents that happen are usually caused by human error. Some of the human errors that result in accidents are overspeeding, drunken and distracted driving, red light jumping, and non-adherence to safety rules such as using safety gear.
Overspeeding
Just like a moth is attracted to a flame, most humans need speed. This poses an extreme danger and is, in fact, the leading cause of fatal road accidents. Because of overspeeding, the risk of being involved in a car accident is multiplied. Too much speed also results in less control and heavy injury to the car and the human body.
When a car moves at a fast speed, it is more challenging to stop immediately; it needs more braking distance. However, if a vehicle is just a few inches in front, this will immediately result in a crash. This is why it is better to drive at a slower speed, especially when cars are in front. Having low speed gives the vehicle the ability to stop immediately.
Drunken Driving
People love to consume alcohol. It spices up the celebration and relaxes people when it comes to social situations. However, consuming alcohol when drinking may make a person too relaxed and reduce driving concentration. This can be dangerous.
Alcohol decreases a person’s reaction time; it means that the body cannot react quickly in case of a close collision with another car. Additionally, alcohol makes a person sleepy; for other people, alcohol helps remove inhibitions that are incredibly dangerous when applied to driving.
Usually, drinking alcohol is related to overspeeding because a person is more inclined to take risks when they get confidence from spirits. Even 0.05 blood alcohol concentration is enough to skew a person’s judgment.
Reducing Car Accidents
To reduce car accidents, driving schools are providing easy and fast defensive driving courses. These courses remind driving students to be defensive while on the road.
Defensive driving means employing the proper strategies and driving techniques to save lives and reduce damages to drivers, passengers, and properties. Defensive driving involves choosing the right decisions when it comes to driving. Additionally, a defensive driver must create a safe driving space within and outside the vehicle.
When one is a defensive driver, they know how to avoid risky behaviors and conditions. They effectively prevent a collision, as well as a penalty for having traffic violations. For example, a defensive driver slows down when the weather conditions are bad. These simple decisions are essential to avoid car accidents.
Aside from drivers, pedestrians and passengers have responsibilities, too, when it comes to avoiding road accidents. A pedestrian, for instance, must also be aware of the traffic rules and avoid being careless. For example, one must not cross at the wrong places to avoid getting hit or being a casualty in a road accident.
Additionally, passengers must not distract a driver. One distracts a driver by talking to them. At the same time, when inside the vehicle, a passenger must avoid projecting their body outside the car. A passenger must also alight and board in the proper locations so as not to cause delay and hassle to other vehicles.
Other factors to consider
Aside from the driver, passengers, and pedestrians, other elements must also be considered to reduce car accidents. This includes checking the vehicles frequently. A responsible driver must check for failure of breaks or busting of tires; headlight must be regularly checked, too, in case of driving during nighttime.
Road conditions must be checked, too. When driving, beware of potholes and damaged roads; as a good measure, always avoid these roads or drive slowly. This must also be done in dangerous weather conditions such as heavy rainfall, wind storms, and hail storms; driving slow is key so that you can observe what is happening around you.
Overall, the way to decrease and prevent road accidents is through proper education about road safety, applying this information, and smartly making decisions when driving.
