There is a saying that accidents are incidents which could have been avoided. What this is saying, is that regardless of how terrible an accident is, there is usually something that could have been done to avoid it. Unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20 and not everyone lives to get that privilege. This article will highlight some of the leading culprits of incidents of deaths caused by car accidents.
High among the list is speeding. Over the years, there have been multiple fatalities on our roadways which have been directly caused by speeding. However, while the numbers continue to climb, road users have also failed to sufficiently address this issue, to show a remarkable reduction in speed-related road fatalities. Unfortunately, in these accidents, passengers and pedestrians also rank highly as the persons who are most likely to be killed.
Another top culprit is drug and alcohol consumption. Some people seem to have a tendency to believe that their cognitive functioning will not be altered by ingesting these substances. An anecdotal evidence of this is the popular “Cops” television show which showcases lawmen administering sobriety tests to drivers, and the comedy hour-type results that follow. However, it is no laughing matter when driving at high speeds (which you would not readily realize while under the influence), resulting in a slow reaction time to an emergency, and the result is fatal.
With increasing popularity of gadgets and cellular phones, we also seemed to have arrived at an era where social networking and texting simply cannot wait. Naturally, this too, has had a fatal result on our roadways. Especially young drivers, despite efforts by the country to make the act illegal, have continued to text and update their social network pages while driving, thus contributing significantly to the overall deaths caused by car accidents.
While cellular phones are a type of distraction, there are other forms which are also contributing highly to our road fatalities. The fact is, not everyone can multi-task, and the moment a driver takes to answer a question posed by a passenger, pick up a bag off the back seat, change the CD or turn up the volume, have also proven deadly over the years. The more focused you are around the wheel, is therefore the better it is for all road users.
It should be common knowledge that it is best to service one’s vehicle before the winter season begins, however, with the best of intent, poor weather conditions also contribute significantly to deaths caused by car accidents. Snowy roads and poor visibility pose problems for drivers, especially those with less driving experience. The result is usually catastrophic.
On that matter of experience, one’s ability to drive defensively can also make the difference between life and death, even when a collision seems inevitable. Young drivers and the elderly might not be able to drive defensively, albeit for different reasons. While a young driver might not have developed the requisite skills to drive defensively as yet, the elderly driver might not be as quick in response time as when he was younger. These age groups are therefore additional risk factors that contribute to deaths caused by car accidents.
Finally, population density also contributes to fatality figures. Naturally, the more people and vehicles that are on the road will tend to increase the likelihood of incidents and accidents. However, as was mentioned in the beginning, it should be a bit clearer now that many of these deaths caused by car accidents are indeed incidents which could have been avoided.