In our blog series, we have covered some of the most common causes of crashes. Here at Accident & Injury Chiropractic, we believe it’s good to periodically review driving risks, so we can all stay safer on the roads. To that end, here is a review of the most common causes of car wrecks—beginning with the greatest ones and ending with a few that we may not think about much at all—and should!
1. Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is consistently cited as the leading cause of auto crashes. Distracted driving is caused by anything that takes a driver’s attention off the road. Some examples include texting, eating, and talking on the phone (even with Bluetooth). But even singing along with your favorite song or talking to a passenger in the car can lead to distracted driving, so keep your focus on the road at all times!
2. Speeding
When you drive faster than the speed limit or faster than road and weather conditions safely permit, you reduce your ability to react in time to keep control of the car. If you’re not an Indy-500 race car driver, slow down and obey the speed limit. (And even if you are a race car driver, you are still required to drive the posted speed limit.) Don’t put yourself at risk of a serious crash. Though injuries can occur even at slow speeds, the faster you drive, the higher your risk of serious injuries.
3. Altered Driving
As you know, drugs and alcohol can impair your judgment, coordination, and reaction time, putting you at risk of getting in a crash. Over the counter and prescription medications can be just as dangerous as illicit drugs. Any medication that alters your brain or makes you drowsy is a no-no when it comes to driving. In addition, driving when you’re tired can also impact your ability to maneuver safely. Never get behind the wheel unless you’re wide-awake, unaltered, and focused on the task at hand.
4. Reckless and Overly Aggressive Driving
Reckless drivers display a disregard for the rules of the road. This can include things like running red lights and stop signs and failure to yield right-of-way. Aggressive driving may include speeding, unnecessary horn honking, weaving in and out of traffic, and tailgating. Let’s do a deeper dive on a few of these.
- It’s easy to see how running red lights and stop signs puts you at greater risk of being in a wreck. But what about yellow lights? Have you ever sped up in an intersection to make it through a yellow light before it turned red? Every day, people are seriously injured in crashes because they hurried to get through a yellow light. A slop-stop also increases your chances of being in a collision, so make a commitment now to thoroughly stop at lights and stop signs.
- The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 29% of crashes are caused by one vehicle ramming into the back of another one. Often this is because the at-fault driver is tailgating—following the other car too closely—in a hurry to get to his or her destination. But studies have shown that our rushing only saves us approximately 26 seconds per day! Is that 26 seconds worth the risk of a wreck when even a small fender-bender can result in serious physical and emotional consequences? In fact, whiplash can occur at speeds as low as 5 miles per hour, so always give the car in front of you a one-car-length buffer for every 10 mph you drive.
- When you weave in and out of traffic, you are at a higher risk of a rear-end collision and a side-swipe accident. If you try to squeeze in between cars, you decrease the safety distance between yourself and the car in front of you. If you have to brake suddenly, you have reduced the cushion protecting you from a collision. You are also at risk of hitting a car from the side when you continually try to squeeze in between cars. When you weave and speed up and slow down, you can confuse other drivers, which can lead to an inappropriate reaction to the maneuvers you’re taking. Your weaving can also provoke anger, frustration, and aggression in other drivers. Don’t become the victim of road rage you contributed to in another driver!
- Sometimes reckless driving can result from overfamiliarity with the task of driving. Are you properly managing basic driving skills like turns and lane changes? To handle turns, always do so from areas designated for that purpose. Turn on your turn signal, check mirrors, and look over your shoulder before executing your turn. Never cross multiple lanes to make a turn, and when you turn or change lanes, always make sure you’re headed in the right direction for the lane you are entering.
Human error is a contributing factor in the vast majority of accidents. A recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study showed driver error caused 94% of car accidents. But there are other factors that can lead to car crashes that we must also consider.
1. Weather
We all know the risks of driving on ice and snow. It’s especially problematic here in North Texas where road crews are not equipped with salt and/or the kinds of chemicals crews in the north have, and, let’s be honest, sand doesn’t really do the trick. The good thing is that most of us don’t venture out here in snowy/icy conditions.
But it’s not just ice on the roads that can make them slick. When it rains here in North Texas, water mixes with accumulated oils, grease, and other grime from vehicles, creating a slippery, greasy film that drastically reduces tire traction. This effect is most pronounced during the first 10 to 15 minutes of rainfall, especially after long dry spells, as the water lifts these contaminants to the road’s surface. The water also fills in the tiny pits and crevices of the road, smoothing the surface and lowering the friction coefficient between the tires and the pavement.
Precipitation of any kind can also affect visibility—as can grey, cloudy days. Though we don’t get a lot of it here, fog also greatly reduces visibility. Sometimes in fog it’s difficult to see even a car-length ahead.
2. Early Morning, Evening, and Night Driving
Driving comes with its own special challenges in the early morning, evening, and at night.
- First, visibility is greatly reduced—even before the sun has completely descended. The shadows that are cast as the sun goes down or rises in the morning can trick your brain into thinking it’s seeing things that aren’t there—or not seeing things that are there. Many people who see perfectly well in the daylight struggle with nighttime blindness.
- In the early morning and evening, during rush hour, traffic is heavier and more difficult to navigate as drivers’ speeds vary. Sudden starts and stops have contributed to many fender-benders.
- There are more impaired drivers on the roads at night, either from tiredness or from indulging in evening drinks.
3. Vehicle Failure
The things we do to maintain our vehicles aren’t just important for their longevity; they are also critical for our safety.
- First, when you have to stop suddenly, you need to know you can rely on your brakes to work optimally.
- Tire blowouts can cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Tires with low tread can cause you to slip and slide—especially when roads are wet or icy. Low tire tread can affect your car’s ability to brake, as reduced grip can lead to longer braking distances and an increased risk of hydroplaning (losing control on wet roads).
- Do all your vehicle’s lights work? Brake lights warn drivers behind you that you’re stopping. They also define your car. Have you ever driven behind a car that was missing a taillight and thought you were following a motorcycle? The same is true with headlights. They don’t just help you to see—which, of course, is critical—but they define your car for other drivers.
- A failure in the steering system and problems in suspension can compromise vehicle handling and may even cause you to lose control.
- Electrical system failure and engine stalls can leave you stranded—or even worse, vulnerable to a collision. Make sure every part of your car is in good working order and all maintenance procedures are up to date.
4. Poor Road Conditions
- Some roads are just built in such a way that they are very difficult to drive on. Overly hilly and curvy roads can prove to be a real problem. Many motorists have lost control of their cars driving around a dangerous curve. In such conditions, be sure to slow down until you can safely handle the curve and never pass another driver while navigating a curve.
- Ruts and potholes. Hitting a pothole at the wrong angle or speed can cause damage to your car and may even cause you to lose control while driving. Always be aware of the condition of the road and drive carefully and at the appropriate speed.