Traffic accidents are one of the most unwanted things that can happen to drivers, yet they can occur to anyone no matter how careful they are. You could be following all the rules and regulations and still get involved in a car accident. Accidents are not only unpleasant for drivers but also for individuals and businesses. They affect all parties involved in the crash and the people surrounding them. If it’s a major accident, roads will be blocked, which will prevent employees from going to their work or home on time. Traffic accidents are caused by various reasons, but some of them could be avoided and we could reduce accident rates. Here are the common causes of traffic accidents and how you can avoid them.
Busses
In cities like Texas, it’s common to see busses everywhere. That’s mainly because busses offer a cheaper and easier means of transportation for everyone, but they are one of the reasons why traffic accidents occur. There are thousands of buses in Houston’s streets, and not all of them follow the rules and standards of driving. Some of the bus drivers drive recklessly without putting in mind the lives of the people with them or the other drivers around them. As a driver, you can report a bus driver if you saw them violating the rules. However, as busses have different regulations than cars, it’s better to consult a Houston bus accident lawyer to know the standards were violated were not before reporting them. Busses are one of the main reasons why traffic accidents happen, and they often end-up with many injured people. You can reduce the bus accident rate by knowing the busses’ regulations and reporting them if they violated any of them.
Distracted Driving
Another major cause of traffic accidents is being distracted while driving. In many cities, distraction is the number one cause of accidents. When all of your focus is on the road and you’re entirely aware of other cars around you, you will not only cause an accident, but you can avoid getting involved in one. You will also have enough time to react if a car comes near you and you may be able to reduce the severeness of the accident if there’s no way to avoid it. Getting distracted by a mobile phone can cause many problems, you could be checking a text and suddenly hit another car or a person, or you could be talking and having an argument that’s taking all of your focus. Talking on the phone should be avoided at all costs, even if you’re not holding the phone. When you talk, part of your concentration is going towards the conversation and not the road, which could get you involved in an accident. Avoid that by turning your phone off while driving or in silent mode. If you have to take a call, you can pull over and talk.
Speeding
When people drive while they’re in a hurry, they may go over the speed limit, which may cause an accident that could’ve been avoided. Speeding means that you have less control over your vehicle in case anything happens. It becomes harder to stop or react if needed. Almost all accidents that happen because of speeding could have been less severe or avoided if drivers followed the speed limit. When you speed, you put other drivers’ lives in danger as well as yours. That’s why you should always follow the recommended speed limit for each road and avoid going over it at all costs.
Crossing Red Light
A huge number of accidents happen at intersections. You may think that you’re saving more time by crossing a red light as you don’t want to wait until it’s green. However, some studies found that by following traffic lights properly, you will save more time. By crossing the traffic lights when they’re red, you’re putting others’ lives in danger, especially individuals who are crossing the road. Neglecting the red light and driving, may not result in accidents, but it definitely will create chaos and end-up causing more traffic. While driving, you should follow traffic signals, and stop when the light turns yellow forcing other drivers to stop as well. You should also avoid hitting the brakes suddenly when it turns yellow to leave enough space for you and the vehicle behind you to stop.
The rules and regulations that we learn when we start driving are made to create safer roads for everyone, everywhere, but by the time we may start to forget some of them. It’s essential to follow these regulations to avoid getting into a car accident. If you don’t remember these rules, you can refresh your memory by reading them again. You should also report anyone who’s not following these rules. You can also help reduce accidents by calling the police when you see a driver speeding or driving recklessly.