3 Major Causes of Car Accidents & How To Prevent Them

• That’s a list that goes the long way around to saying that the only thing you should
be doing when you’re behind the wheel is driving.
I bet you’re thinking: ‘easier said than done, Derek’, but consider this: drivers using text
messaging while driving are 23 times more likely to get into an accident. You think you’re just
sending a quick note to your boss, but in the time it takes you to look up at the road again, it
could be too late.
There are ways you can help yourself:
If you don’t trust yourself not to respond to text messages, you can set up a driving ‘do
not disturb’ that replies to anyone who texts you that you’re currently driving and will
see their message when you get to your destination.
Avoid temptation by putting your phone in the back seat or trunk.
Make sure your bluetooth is set up correctly for calls that simply cannot wait. That said,
your level of attention even using hands free technology is diminished significantly so
you need to consider whether a call is worth it! You’re much better off to pull over
safely, put the car in park and make your call then.
One of the biggest distractions in the car? Kids. I know… You can’t live with them, you can’t
strap them to the roof!
Reaching back to grab a dropped toy is all it takes for you to rear-end another vehicle, or worse,
veer out of your lane into oncoming traffic.
The best advice here is an ounce of prevention. If that means turning on a video for long drives,
to keep the little ones quiet, so be it. Screaming kids in the back seat will not only drive you to
distraction but they will distract your driving.
The Next Two Important Causes Of Car Accidents
Speeding and impaired driving are the next two causes on the list. They are both highly
preventable, at least on your part.
Unfortunately, too many people still drink and drive and if you are the victim of an accident
involving an impaired driver, you will have a strong cause of action to get compensation for
your injuries. But that’s small consolation for the fact that it happened at all
As I pointed out in a previous post, speeding will typically NOT save time and in fact significantly
increases your risk of having a collision.
I have an old friend who habitually drives in the slow lane. He swears up and down that he gets
to his destinations both faster and happier. In my youth, I definitely drove on the aggressive
and impatient side, and it tested my patience to no end to drive with this friend.
But one day we put his theories to the test and I discovered that he was RIGHT. When I drove in
the slow lane, I often arrived at the exact same time as those who were driving in the fast lane,