Driver Distractions
It is believed that nearly about 80% of car accidents occur due to drivers becoming distracted. This distraction can be anything like talking on mobile phones, eating, fiddling with
car audio systems, grooming, and participating in unhealthy conversations. These distractions often take driver’s eyes away from the road and reduce the level of concentration, which eventually leads to a serious accident.
To avoid such kind of situations, government has banned the use of mobile phones while driving but still many do use them. So, it’s advisable to have the complete attention focused on road when driving a car or any other vehicle.
Drowsy Driving
According to the industry reports, drowsy driving accounts for about 50,000 accidents every year in India. People feel most drowse during the peak sleep hours between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. Some even feel sleepy during afternoon hours especially from noon to 2 p.m. The most common symptoms of drowsiness are drooping eyelids, drifting vehicle, varying speed, repeated yawning, irrelevant conversation, and misjudging traffic signals.
If any of these symptoms are there, it is better to take a break or swap drivers. Consumption of alcohol, sweets and caffeine also leads to drowsiness. It should be avoided at least two hours before going for a drive.
Speeding
Driving over the speed limit is also a major cause of accidents. There are certain speed limits chosen by the traffic control bodies to ensure safety of the driver. Driving at the given speed limit allows the driver to respond efficiently to sudden emergencies like sudden stop, on-road obstacle, or even an expected collision. Exceeding the speed limit directly reduces the driver’s response time, which further leads to an accident.
Simply slowing down the car speed and obeying posted speed limits can help to make the roads, cars, drivers and the car passengers safer.
Drunken Driving
Drunken driving is also known as driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated. This is considered to be the most deadly driving habit. Consumption of alcohol usually impairs the driver’s physical as well as mental ability. This impairment reduces the brain’s ability to respond to emergency situations and the driver is unable to control the drive in case of a sudden stop.
The driver should never consume alcohol at least three to four hours prior to his driving hours.
Weather Conditions
Inclement weather and uneven roads are also listed under the causes of car accidents. Weather conditions heavy rain, snowstorms, high winds and fog makes the driving difficult. During monsoon driving, the car is expected to skid if not controlled strongly and smartly. The key reason why bad weather causes an accident is unclear vision.
It is always advisable to stay slow and more focused during such kind of weather conditions.
Road Conditions
Road conditions that include bumpy, uneven and poor designed roads are notorious for accident. In India, many cities have huge pot holes on roads which make the drive really difficult. This is why some people prefer buying off-roaders than the normal city car so that the ride is safer and comfortable. On such challenging roads, if the weather conditions are bad, then the chances of accidents increases and may lead to a deadly car accident.
Aggressive Driving
Aggressive driving refers to a combination of offenses that includes speeding, changing lanes, missing traffic signals, inconsiderate driving, and being negligent on roads. The trigger for such kind of driving is mainly the traffic congestion mated with the shortage of time to reach a specified destination. Due to this, the driver commits multiple violations which cause them to take an elusive action that either results to road rage or even a fatal crash.
It is always recommended to stay calm and patient when behind the wheel. This is to ensure the safety of all those who share the same road for driving.