Main causes of car accidents in the USA. How to avoid crashes

Updated on:
15.07.2022
4.8
1941

The content of the article:

  1. What is considered to be a traffic accident
  2. How to save the driver’s life and the car

Let’s be honest. No one is protected from unpleasant accidents. A car crash is one of the most unpleasant situations that can happen in someone's life. There are several main reasons why automobile crashes are frequent in the United States. What causes car accidents and how to avoid them-now you will find out below.

What is considered to be a traffic accident 

Punctured tire? A car breakdown? Or maybe a bump against another car? Which of these options is the correct answer to the question, what is a car accident causes? According to Laws, a traffic accident is classified as any accident involving motor vehicles, which results in an event that is considered to be in contrast to expected, intended, or routine operation. So, all of the above is correct. Also, experts in the field of logistics classify accidents on the road into:

  • Hit and Run. This type of crash can involve one or more drivers. The cause of Hit and Run can be speeding, bad weather conditions, etc. An example of this type of crash can be a car collision on the road due to ice. This is the most common type of accident. 
  • DUI and DWI. It means Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Whereas in the first form, an accident may be provoked by an event, DUI and DWI are always the faults of one of the drivers. 
  • Fender-Benders. You've definitely seen this kind of accident at least once in the city or in a traffic jam, when drivers accidentally bumped into each other's cars or parked unsuccessfully. Who would have thought that this was also an accident, right? 

Now let's take a closer look at the causes of accidents on the highways. After determining the main reasons, we can find how to prevent a car accident. 

Distracted Driving 

One of the main causes of accidents on the highways is a distraction during crashes. Going on a long trip, drivers may take books, movies, TV shows, etc.  Being distracted by other activities, drivers lose their attention on the road. According to statistics, most accidents happen on a flat highway, where drivers don't pay close attention to the road and are distracted by other things. When the road is full of curves and turns, drivers' attention is certainly clearer than on the highway. 

Speeding 

According to the statistics, speeding was a factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2020, killing 11,258, or an average of over 30 people per day and, unfortunately, the percentage is rising every year. Also, as statistics show, men more often violate the speed rules than women. Unfortunately, accidents provoked by speeding end in fatalities.

Rain 

Bad weather is also a significant reason for accidents. A slippery road after rain often causes cars to skid, resulting in collisions with other cars or objects. 

Unfortunately, there is no way to influence this cause. The only rule when driving on a rainy road is not to exceed the speed limit and drive with the headlights on.

Vehicle Defects

Another common cause of accidents is car breakdowns on the road. Often drivers do not do auto-checks in time or neglect to replace the necessary spare parts. Determining that it was a breakdown that caused the accident is very difficult, especially if the car accident was large enough. To avoid such a situation, it is recommended to keep a record of all parts of your car – from the first repair to the last moment of inspection.

Imperfect Knowledge of the Way/Road 

Occasionally the causes of accidents may not be as obvious as the previous ones. And while it's hard to know that the accident was caused by a car problem, it's even harder to discover that the cause of the accident was ignorance of the road. And yes, sometimes the causes of collisions happen when the driver doesn't know a clear route. Sometimes, the navigator can tell the wrong way or worn in time about important signs. This can lead to issues both in the city (when the driver accidentally pulls into a one-way street) and on county roads and highways. 

Driving at Night

The top of the most popular causes of accidents is driving at night. Driving at night can have several disadvantages at once. For example, if you're driving on a highway in a wooded area, you may not be able to see large animals on the road at night. If your route does involve a trip at night, then you need to make sure that the car had good-quality headlights with a high beam, and that the driver was sufficiently rested. 

How to save the driver’s life and the car 

Avoiding all causes of accidents is very difficult. After all, we cannot influence the will of chance or the weather, for example. Nevertheless, there are a few basic examples of how to avoid car accidents.

  • Plan your logistics. To avoid problems due to lack of knowledge of the route, always think through your way beforehand. The driver should have a clear vision of how he should get from point A to point B and where his stops should be. It should help to avoid unpleasant situations with speeding, for example, or unexpected stops.
  • Check your car in time. Keep a record of how many times per year you've checked the car and made repairs to it. Not only does this affect the car, but also the life of its driver. Always write down what parts have been replaced and whether you need to carry spare parts. Keep in mind that it's not just the spare tire that has a place in the car. 
  • Get your own TMS app. Leading logistics companies order unique TMS applications for their workforces and also for preventing car accidents. In a quality TMS, a company employee can store information about the driver's documents (which he can load himself), build a route and store information about it, and keep a record of all repairs that have been made to the car. 
  • Be sure you employ a professional driver. How trustworthy are you in your drivers? Have they passed a background check? For these and other questions about the professionalism of your drivers, you should have documentation stored in one place. At least, you should have a trusting relationship with the company’s drivers.
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Complying with all of the above points is not easy, especially when it comes to document storage. That is why it is important to have your app. Wezom is ready to create a unique application specifically for the needs of your company. The great advantage of working with us is that you don't need to overpay for features in an application that you don't need. We will create a product specifically for your business. 

An optimization of work processes in one TMS app will make it possible to clearly track not only the driver's route, but also other technical components that affect the quality of work. After all, safety is the most important thing an employer must ensure for its people. 

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