Leading Cause Of Collisions

Distractions outside of the car are a leading cause to collisions in automobiles. Cell phone usage is ranked second in the top three causes of automobile accidents.The number one reason for collisions is getting lost in your own thoughts. Distracted drivers can cause injuries and in some cases, death. Distractions inside and outside of the car, cell phone usage, and getting lost in thoughts are the three leading causes of automobile accidents. Distractions inside of the car are a leading cause of automobile accidents. Something as simple as changing the radio station, eating a sandwich, or even discussion with a peer could be a situation of life or death. In most cases, accidents occur by an inability to pay attention to what is in
Many are caused by a crash scene, road construction, or unfamiliar people or places. While it may be human nature to gawk at these situations that draw our eyes to them, it is strongly encouraged that you do not take your awareness away from the road in order to look at something that doesn't pertain to the road. Failure to avoid gawking can end fatally. It can enable your car to have an incorrect lane placement, which in turn will make you more likely to cause a head-on collision with an opposing vehicle. According to Erie’s Report (2013) : It’s difficult to resist temptation to gawk at off-road drama or post-wreck cleanup, but 7 percent of the distracted drivers in Erie’s report should have. Parents’ advice to “keep your eyes on the wheel” at all times should carry through adulthood. (pg. 9) Road construction is another reason people can lose their awareness of the road around them. These areas can make a normal two or three lane road to be decreased down into a one lane road. This can get very confusing, especially if the traffic is particularly heavy around these construction areas. A helpful thing to remember when in driving through a construction zone is to maintain speed posted before that zone. “More than 20,000 workers are injured in road construction work zones each year, some of which are traffic related and some of which are limited to hazards within the construction activity area.” says Department of Transportation: Federal Highway Administration (2016). Especially in an unfamiliar area, distractions become harder to avoid because you are unaware of your surroundings. Unfamiliar streets, unfamiliar people, and unfamiliar places cause you to become anxious and confused which causes you to become distracted, which in turn makes you more likely to become oblivious to the road and can cause an