It’s Memorial Day weekend. For many of us, that means heading down to the beach to relax and chill in the sun. Or, bringing the neighbors around for a good, smokey BBQ. Many will go and see distant relatives or take a camping trip in the wild. More still will head to multiplexes to see the Memorial Day movies releases. This year it’s TMNT2 And X-Men: Apocalypse. All in all, it looks like it could be a brilliant weekend. Or does it? If a recent report is to believe an estimated 413 people will be killed on the roads this weekend. That number has grown an incredible amount since the last recorded report in 2009. It’s enough to make you think twice about going out at all this holiday weekend. Maybe it’s better just to stay inside. Remember, that number doesn’t include the other people who might be involved in accidents on the road. These are only the numbers for fatal incidents. With that in mind, it’s worth thinking about what could cause these accidents and how to avoid them completely.
Common Causes Of Road Accidents
Road Rage
Road rage is perhaps one of the most troubling causes of road accidents. If people were sensible, there wouldn’t be any issue at all. But when something happens on the road that irritates you, it’s easy to take it out on another driver. You might perform a dangerous maneuver, lower your braking distance or blind them with bright lights. If you’re paying more attention to how much you’re annoying a driver, you’re not attentive on the road. It’s a dangerous and deadly situation. If you want to avoid cases of road rage, make sure that you do not engage other drivers. If a driver engages you, it’s best to ignore them completely. At a safe time, pull over and wait for them to pass you by. If they follow you to the side of the road, call the police immediately.
If you feel yourself getting angry on the road make sure that you pull over immediately. Do not under any circumstances let it affect how you drive. The most common cause of road rage is impatience and frustration at slow moving traffic. Just remember it’s better to get there slowly rather than not at all.
Heavy Vehicles
Heavy vehicles cause an alarming number of accidents on American roads. There are a number of few reasons why this occurs. First, the vehicles are massive and can be difficult to maneuver. In some cases, it’s also impossible to have a full and clear vision of the road. Drivers can not always see cars overtaking them or cars behind them, and that’s a problem. As well as this there is the issue of who is driving these vehicles. Usually, the driver is paid on commission to deliver the goods as quickly as possible. If they can’t do this, they may well risk losing their job. Then there’s the question of whether some of the vehicles are safe for road use at all. There is evidence to suggest that some of these vehicles have not been properly checked for road use. If that’s the case, there is very little you can do to avoid an accident. If you encounter car problems on your trip, it’s likely that you’ll need towing services to remove your vehicle from the road. Hence, it is advised to keep handy the contact information of a towing services company.
That said, if you are driving near a bigger vehicle you should be extra vigilant. Keep an eye on the driver’s actions and only perform an overtake if you’re sure the driver sees you. Some truck drivers will signal you to tell you it is safe to overtake. You may want to wait for this signal. It is worth taking extra caution around truck drivers.
Driving Under The Influence
Unfortunately, we’re sure there will be some drink drivers on the road this weekend. Some people will be traveling back from parties. Others will be on bar crawls. You might think that most people are sensible enough not to drink and drive. You’d be right. Most people are. But we can’t ignore that a huge percentage of road accidents are still caused by drink drivers. It worth noting many may not realize that they are over the limit. We’re all different. Alcohol affects different people in various ways. Some have a higher tolerance than others. But that shouldn’t be seen as an excuse.
If you’re worried about a DUI, the best course of action is not to drink and drive at all. Don’t even risk it because it’s not worth it. You can look at some drunk driving frequently asked questions online. But here’s a particularly common one. How much is too much? Strictly speaking, each state has a legal limit. But as we’ve already pointed out, you can be under the limit and still be unsafe on the road.
If you’re worried about other drink drivers on the road, watch for signs in other car users. Generally speaking, if a car is swerving, something isn’t right. That could be fatigue, a distraction or a DUI.
Distractions On The Road
Finally, it’s worth thinking about what is still the most common cause of road accidents. That’s a distraction. Many people associate distracted driving automatically with using a cell phone. That’s true, driving a cell phone is distracting. But so is having an argument while you’re driving or pure negligence. You should also be careful how often you mess around with the radio. Remember, it only takes a few seconds for you to miss a sign of a hazard. By then, it will be too late, and you could be in a road accident. Therefore, while driving and talking on your cell phone is the main cause, there are other issues to be wary of. If you have been injured in an accident caused by a negligent or distracted driver, make sure that your rights are protected by hiring an auto accident lawyer.
Again, if you’re worried about other drivers, check for signs. Be cautious of people who are moving their lips with no one else in the car. They’re probably using a hands-free and you might believe this is perfectly safe, but it isn’t. Research shows even holding a conversation is a distraction. If you do need to speak to someone on the phone, it’s always better to pull over.
