Hundreds of car accidents take place yearly in the UK, and so insurance companies are inundated with claims. The most frequent cause of road accidents is driver negligence. Nowadays, there are lots of reasons for a driver to get unfocused and loose his or her attentiveness while behind the wheel. Tuning the car radio, changing or looking for a CD, making or answering a call on the cell phone, chatting with other passengers in the car, and many other causes contribute to distracting the driver while driving, which in turn become the reason for car accidents.

One more reason for car accidents is a lack of driving experience, as a few surveys have proven that young drivers who are younger than 25 years of age are involved in most of the road accidents. This proves that young drivers lack the experience, and in addition some are irresponsible drivers. The study has also revealed that people over the age of 70 are also involved in a large amount of accidents, and this could be because of the fact that their reaction time is slower than that of younger people.

Being under the influence of alcohol and other drugs is also a common cause of road accidents. Statistics show that drink driving in the UK is one of the major causes of road accidents, especially on weekends.

Not following traffic laws and hasty driving are other main causes of road accidents. Cutting lanes, reducing speed suddenly, and tailgating are regular reasons for road accidents. Not looking in the rear view mirror and not signalling while moving across lanes causes the car to plough in to the other car that is trying to cut into the lane. Braking suddenly to look at something on the side of the road will result the driver at the back to run into your car, which can also cause a chain reaction. Not maintaining a safe distance when following a car is just asking for trouble.

Bad weather is another cause of road accidents. Everyone knows that the weather in the UK is quite unpredictable, and so it’s easy to be caught in bad weather (such as snow storms) while driving. Bad visibility, faulty windshield wipers, not turning on the lights etc are all causes of road accidents in bad weather.

The vehicle that is being driven must be examined often to confirm that it is not breaking down, as anything as minor as a broken light, to faulty brakes, can cause road accidents.

Road rules are made to be followed, and not obeying them is asking for trouble. Forgetting to wear a seat belt, or taking it off in a rush, can cause an unnecessary injury. Also, if there is a child or pet in the car make sure that they are properly secured, and will not cause any distraction while driving.

Being alert and driving meticulously and cautiously is essential to avoid road accidents. A good driver is fully aware of the intentions of other drivers on the road, and this helps them to avoid accidents. Signs are put up to warn drivers and these must be obeyed. Furthermore, never drive under the influence of any intoxicant. Be very alert while driving in a rush, and focus on your driving to protect yourself from any unwanted trouble or injury.

Tags: Auto

Popularity: 20% [?]