Top 8 Causes of Car Accidents from A NY Car Accident Attorney

In the U.S., there is a fatal car accident every 10 seconds. In many cases, these accidents could be avoided with better education about the causes of accidents and how to stay safe behind the wheel. Here are the top eight causes behind these accidents:
1. Cell phones: Using a cell phone is one of the most dangerous things that a driver can do while driving. Even if you use a blue tooth headset or a hands-free device, you still have a higher probability of accidents when you use the phone while driving. Drivers using cell phones cause 330,000 injuries and 2,600 deaths every year in the U.S., according to the journal Human Factors. To avoid thousands of accidents, the solution is simple. Don’t use a cell phone while driving, even if it’s just a quick call. If you need to communicate, pull over and make the call.
2. Changing the Radio or CDs: Staying entertained in the car can come at a steep price. Changing a CD or the radio station contribute to a large number of vehicle accidents. To avoid this problem, Pop in that CD before you start your trip. A mixed CD or using a multiple-CD changer can also help keep you entertained without being distracted. Change the radio station while at a red light, or wait until your next pit stop to avoid problems. If you have passengers, have one of them take charge of your musical entertainment.
3. Eating While Driving: Eating while you drive may sound like a great way to multitask, but it also puts you and your passengers in a lot of danger. This also goes for other multitasking activities like reading and applying makeup. To avoid the danger these activities pose while driving, think ahead and get them done before you get behind the wheel. Pull into a parking lot to apply makeup or make sure to eat before you leave the house. If you do take a drink into the car, be sure that you have adequate cup holders to allow you to stay hands free while driving.
4. Rubbernecking Other Accidents: This might not sound that dangerous, but the numbers don’t lie. Slowing down to stare at an accident site puts you in danger just like any other driver distraction. While you’ve slowed and your attention is elsewhere, you run a high risk of causing a collision yourself. Many vehicle accidents happen close to other accidents for this very reason. To prevent car accidents like this, pay attention to the road at all times, even when an accident is nearby. Unless you are directed to slow down by a police officer, keep your speed at the same pace as the vehicles around you.
5. Drunk Driving: As you already know, drinking and driving is a serious danger to yourself and everyone around you. How serious is it? In 2006 alone, 14,000 people were killed in drunk-driving accidents in the U.S. Accidents that involve a driver impaired by alcohol are more likely to cause a serious injury or death than other accidents. Constant education about the dangers of drinking and driving have not eliminated this problem, and may in fact not be the best way to keep people from getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. Putting policies in place to take keys away from inebriated drivers or to call them taxis may be a better technique for curbing this dangerous practice.
6. Drug Impairment: Driving while under the influence of drugs is just as serous an impairment as driving while under the influence of alcohol. Prescription drugs as well as illegal drugs are to blame for accident all over the country. Marijuana can cause an impairment that slows your reflexes and places you in danger as a driver. But, a cold or cough medication can do the same. Before driving, it’s important to know whether your medications can cause any impairment that will put you in danger. If you aren’t sure how you will react to a new medication, allow time to see how you react before you drive under its influence.
7. Distracted Drivers: There are plenty of distractions both inside and outside of a car that can give you a hard time concentrating on the road. Having passengers in the car is a known distraction. Talking to kids or craning to look at a passenger can be a dangerous distraction. Having animals in the car is unpredictable and can also pose a danger. If you have a problem with a child or an animal, pull over to deal with it. Taking your eyes and/or your concentration from the road is a danger that can lead to serious accidents.
8. Excessive Speed: Fatal accidents and high speeds go hand in hand. The faster you drive on the highway, the higher the likelihood of a traffic fatality. Speeding, however, is alarmingly common. Vehicles that speed through residential areas are of particular concern to safety. When you use excessive speed, it is harder for your vehicle to slow down and to stop. When this occurs in residential areas, there is a serious danger to other vehicles as well as to pedestrians. To avoid many of these dangers, always drive the posted speed limit. The few seconds you save by speeding aren’t worth such a serious safety risk.



New York, NY Car Accident Attorney