Causes of Vehicle Accidents

It can be scary to get in an automobile accident. It is said that most accidents happen within five minutes of your home. Well over 95 percent of all accidents have to do with driver behavior as well as one other factor: Most accidents are caused by going too fast or aggressive behavior by the driver. There are many other factors, however, that cause people to get into vehicle accidents, such as roadway design, poor roadway maintenance and equipment failure.

Roadway Design

Drivers often blame roadway design for the cause of their accident, which is often not the case. Many years have been spent on making the roadway safe for motorists, and many different factors are taken into consideration such as roadway surfaces (dotted lines, pavement), traffic control devices (stop signs, yield), hazard visibility (construction, bends in road), behavioral control devices (speed bumps), road signs (street names), weather and traffic flow. Most of the incidents with roadway design is by someone taking a corner too fast.

Poor Roadway Maintenance

Some motor vehicle accidents can be contributed to poor roadway maintenance, such as debris that have fallen on the roadway and haven't been removed, icy or snowy roads, faded road signs and potholes. Again all of this can be avoided if you follow the speed limit or use discretion regarding when you should take it slower.

Driver Behavior

Most accidents are caused by driver behavior. As humans, we tend to blame someone else when something negative happens, such as an accident. Most people who are in an accident believes the other party involved could have done something different to prevent the accident. Talking on a cell phone, eating, falling asleep, driving under the influence or applying makeup are prime examples of poor driver behavior.

Speeding

Speeding, even if going five miles per hour over, if done in the wrong place at the wrong time, can be fatal. The faster you are going, the greater risk you are in for getting into a car accident. Government and engineers most often determined what is a safe speed to travel on a given roadway. Ninety percent of drivers speed at least one time in their life; 75 percent admit to doing it often.

Aggressive Drivers

A factor in a lot of motor vehicle car accidents involves aggressive drivers. This is one of the most difficult areas for a motorist to change about themselves. Examples of aggressive drivers are tailgating (following the car in front of you too close), flashing lights at the car driving in front of you because you feel they are driving to slow, rude or aggressive gestures, preventing one from moving their car, verbal abuse (cursing at someone) and, worse yet, assaulting someone.

Equipment Failure

Less than five percent of all car accidents are caused by equipment failure. Although it is rare to get in an accident due to equipment failure, it can still happen. Causes of accidents from equipment failure are brakes going out, worn out tires and suspension and steering.