Did you know there were 5.93 million police-reported crashes in the U.S. in 2022, per the Department of Transportation? Truthfully, this number is likely higher as not every accident is reported to the police.
If we sum this up with some easy-to-understand odds, ValuePenguin reveals you have a one in 63 chance of being involved in an accident. Despite this, there are actions you can take that can drastically reduce your odds. However, if you’re involved in an accident , seeking advice from an Austin car accident lawyer can help protect your rights and navigate the legal process.
Let’s discuss how to avoid a car accident.
Key Takeaways
Practicing safe driving techniques reduces your risk of an accident. Even though you can’t control other drivers, adopting safe, defensive driving habits yourself drastically reduces your risk.
Follow the seven rules of safe driving, including adopting defensive driving techniques, obeying the rules of the road, and avoiding distractions while behind the wheel.
The most common types of accidents include rear-end collisions, single-vehicle, and intersection accidents.
If you’re involved in an accident, it’s essential to focus on your immediate safety and finding medical attention before calling a lawyer and dealing with the fallout of your accident.
With all safe driving comes experience. By paying attention to how you drive and constantly improving, you can avoid becoming an unfortunate statistic on the roads.
1. Understanding Defensive Driving
What is defensive driving? Shell Global reveals that defensive drivers concentrate on their own actions but also anticipate the actions of other road users. In other words, it’s about being mindful of your own actions and the actions of others.
Defensive driving is a proven way to avoid accidents, with Gitnux revealing that defensive driving reduces accident risk by 70%. It’s so effective because most people naturally focus solely on themselves, but even if you’re a perfect driver, you can’t expect the same from others.
Examples of defensive driving strategies include:
Managing your speed.
Avoiding aggressive driving behaviors and other road rage drivers.
Using your turn signals.
We’ll focus on two of the most effective defensive driving habits you can adopt now.
Checking Blind Spots Regularly
Blind spots are the areas around you that you cannot see. Checking your mirrors regularly ensures that nobody can sneak into those blind spots and cause an accident.
You must always check your blind spots when:
You turn into the left lane.
You turn into the right lane.
You lane change into the fast lane.
You are curbside parking.
You are pulling out of a parking spot.
Many drivers aren’t even aware of blind spots or when they’re entering someone else’s blind spots. For example, Fleet Management Weekly reveals one in three Americans don’t know a truck’s blind spots. In short, familiarize yourself with your own blind spots and when entering the blind spots of other vehicles.
Maintaining a Safe Following Distance
A safe following distance means keeping an appropriate distance from the vehicle ahead of you. This enables you to anticipate hazards and slam on the brakes so that you don’t crash into the back of them.
According to the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, the easiest way to calculate a safe following distance is to use the three-second rule. You should always be at least three seconds behind the other vehicle.
Note that this distance will naturally be bigger if you’re driving in bad weather conditions, following behind a truck, or entering/exiting a highway.
2. Follow Traffic Laws and Signage
Traffic laws and signage are there to make the rules safer. Sticking to the speed limit, coming to a complete halt at stop signs, and obeying red lights are among the most effective traffic safety actions to reduce your risk of an accident.
Minimizing your accident risk means not engaging in risky behaviors in the first place. Just because there’s nobody around doesn’t mean you should try to run a red light or drive after a few beers.
The stats back this up, with the National Institutes of Health reporting that risky behaviors are responsible for 70% of all road accidents.
Think about this. Is it worth speeding just to risk getting a ticket or so that you can arrive at your destination a few seconds earlier?
3. Be Situationally Aware
Situational awareness when driving means you are conscious of your surroundings. It means you see everything, including the road, weather, traffic, vehicles, construction works, road signs, and pedestrians.
According to the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, a lack of situational awareness exists in 90% of road traffic collisions associated with human error. In practice, it means regularly checking blind spots, looking in both rear-view and side mirrors, and glancing left and right.
It’s very much a habit that you can train over time. The next time you drive, focus on consciously going through risk areas in your mind. For example, if you’re at a busy intersection, consciously analyze the vehicles around you and their actions from all directions.
Eventually, this is something that becomes automatic.
4. Eliminate Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a leading cause of accidents and results from anything that takes your focus away from the act of driving. MarketWatch revealed there were 804,928 distracted driving accidents in 2021, with 8% caused by cell phones.
Driving distractions can be split into three categories:
Hands – Anything that involves removing one or both hands from the wheel, including eating/drinking or texting while driving.
Eyes – Anything that takes your eyes off the road, such as changing your playlist or turning around to someone in the backseat.
Mind – Anything that takes your mind off of the task at hand, which could be as simple as daydreaming.
Train yourself to drive with 100% focus. Get into the habit of actively scanning the road and switching off any electronic device. Again, it’s a learned behavior that eventually becomes automatic. Above all, tell yourself that multi-tasking behind the wheel is never acceptable.
5. Only Overtake When You’re 100% Sure You Can Do it Safely
Overtaking results in a massive number of highway accidents. The University of Iowa found that 46% of highway accidents were caused by critical overtaking at high speed. Lower your speed, obey the rules of the road, and don’t be afraid to let an aggressive driver go.
Safe overtaking requires complete concentration and should only be done by using your turn signals, being as predictable as humanly possible, and lowering your speed to perform the maneuver correctly.
Never overtake if you can’t see the way is completely clear.
6. Keep Your Car in Good Shape
Poor car maintenance is responsible for one in four accidents, according to the Road Users Academy. Brake and tire defects are the most prominent, with the National Institutes of Health reporting these problems as primary issues in 65% of these types of crashes. Ensure you regularly check your vehicle to ensure it’s ready for the road.
Follow these regular maintenance tips for a safe vehicle:
Perform a visual inspection of your vehicle, focusing on things like tire tread depth.
Follow your recommended oil change intervals.
Check your fluids regularly.
Inspect the battery.
Inflate your tires to the recommended PSI.
Rotate your tires regularly.
It’s also essential to take your vehicle to a professional mechanic at least once or twice a year for a routine check. Schedule a visit to a garage immediately if you notice anything odd about your vehicle’s performance, such as shaking, vibrations, or odd noises.
7. Avoid Driving in Bad Weather Conditions
Driving in wet, icy, snowy, and stormy conditions exponentially increases your risk of being killed in an automobile crash. According to The Weather Channel, weather-related accidents represent 16% of all vehicular fatalities.
The best piece of advice is to avoid driving in these conditions entirely. However, real life can hit you, and you may be forced to endure driving in bad weather. Here are some tips for driving smart in bad weather:
Slow down!
Increase your following distance to four or five seconds.
Scan the road for flying debris, crashes, vehicles, and other hazards.
Ensure your lights are fully functioning.
Keep your windows clear.
Learn how to maintain control of your vehicle if you hydroplane or skid.
Understand your driving limitations.
Driving in bad weather for the first time is nerve-wracking, but it gets easier with time. Ideally, if there are severe weather alerts, you should hunker down and wait for the storm to pass.
What are the Most Common Types of Car Accidents?
Any type of car accident is a traumatic incident that could lead to severe injuries or death. According to the Insurance Information Institute, rear-end crashes are the most common accident, making up 29% of all accidents. However, the National Safety Council reveals that angle collisions, or T-bones, are the deadliest.
Let’s go through the most common types of car accidents and how you can reduce your risk of being involved in them.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions, or the good old fender bender, are the most common crashes people claim on their insurance for. They’re a simple hit in the back and can happen at high or low speeds. Sadly, these are among the most preventable accidents.
Here are some tips for avoiding them:
Stay at least three seconds behind the vehicle in front, with extra seconds added if the weather is bad.
Avoid situations where you might have to slam on the brakes in the first place.
Focus on the road ahead, and don’t attempt to multi-task.
Drive sober and well-rested. If you’re tired or under the influence, you’re infinitely more likely to commit an error resulting in a fender bender.
Parked Car Damage
Hitting a parked car is another common type of accident. Whether you’re trying to get out of a parking spot or squeezing into one, hitting a parked car might not be the most serious accident, but it can cost you on your insurance premiums.
So, how can you reduce your risk of hitting a parked car or someone else hitting you while you’re parked?
Park in less busy areas of the parking lot.
Line up your vehicle so you’re parked in the center of the spot, not close to the parking line.
Try to park in a garage for increased safety.
Avoid parking close to driveways, tight turns, and busy intersections to avoid being sideswiped.
Single-Vehicle Accidents
Single-vehicle accidents involve collisions with something that isn’t a vehicle. You may collide with a roadside obstruction, debris from another accident, animals, or pedestrians. This category also includes the dreaded rollover and off-road accidents.
Thankfully, if you follow these tips, single-vehicle accidents are entirely preventable.
Drive for the weather. If the road is covered in snow and you don’t have snow tires or chains, don’t drive. If it’s wet, lower your speed to increase your control.
Pay attention to the road and be on high alert for rapidly changing conditions.
Avoid driving too quickly, even if the conditions are perfect and there’s nobody else on the road.
Windshield Damage
Chips and cracks in the windshield are among the most frustrating accidents. Anything that can be thrown up into the air by other vehicles, are projectiles that could damage your front window. However, these accidents aren’t an inevitability.
The best way to handle this is to keep your distance from other vehicles. In particular, be wary of large commercial trucks, buses, and other heavy vehicles, as they tend to fling debris much further than the average vehicle because of their size.
If you happen to be driving in a part of the country that receives snow, give snowplows a wide distance. Rocksalt and other substances they use to clear the roads are big enough to chip and crack your windshield.
Intersection Crashes
Intersections are the most dangerous locations on the road. The Federal Highway Administration found half of all injuries occur on them, with a quarter of all fatalities. With traffic coming from multiple directions, it only takes one mistake to cause chaos.
Distracted drivers are one of the leading causes of intersection accidents because they can miss traffic signals, stop signs, and turning vehicles. Sadly, since you can’t control other drivers, you’ll need to focus on your actions, such as:
Practice defensive driving.
Take an extra second when the light turns green to ensure nobody is coming from the other direction.
Don't try to jump the lights because you don’t want to wait.
Consider a yellow light as your signal to stop, not your last chance to go.
With intersections being such a hazardous location for accidents, your best course of action is to not take risks here in the first place.
Steps to Take if You Are Involved in a Car Accident
Seeking immediate medical attention, calling the police, gathering evidence, and deferring to an experienced personal injury lawyer are your most important actions in the aftermath of a car accident.
Even the best driving in the world can be undone by intoxicated, distracted, or inexperienced teen drivers. If you do find yourself involved in an accident, knowing what to do is crucial. Here’s your step-by-step guide for dealing with an auto accident:
Step One – Seek medical attention. Your health is the priority. If you or anyone else is seriously injured, call an ambulance straight away.
Step Two – Once you’ve gotten to safety, report the accident to the police. Depending on where you live, you may be legally obligated to do so anyway. They’ll be able to come and fill out an official police accident report, which can be used to claim compensation for your losses later.
Step Three – Exchange insurance details with the other driver. Again, you’re required to do this. Leaving without providing your details is grounds for a hit-and-run charge, which is a felony in many places.
Step Four – Gather evidence using your cell phone. Snap some pictures of the damage to your vehicle, the road conditions, and any visible injuries.
Step Five – Seek out any eyewitnesses who may have seen what happened. Ask them if they’d be willing to provide a statement and their contact details. Note that eyewitnesses aren’t required to cooperate, so if they say no, you’ll have to accept their decision.
Step Six – Take yourself to a medical facility for a check-up. Even if you feel completely fine, many injury symptoms won’t appear until hours, or even days, after an accident. Common issues that may not be immediately obvious include whiplash and internal bleeding.
Step Seven – Call a lawyer. Enlist the help of an Austin car accident lawyer to take control of your case. They’ll help you build your case, deal with insurance companies, and guide you through the process of claiming with an auto insurance company.
Any accident can be traumatizing, but what matters is that you prioritize your health and obtaining legal representation. The worst mistake you can make is attempting to fight your own case because this puts you at risk of not getting the settlement that adequately covers your losses.
Road Traffic Safety FAQs
What type of accident is most common?
Rear-end collisions are the most common type of accident. They’re most often caused by distracted driving, meaning you can’t react to the driver in front suddenly stopping or changing their speed.
It’s a common misconception that the driver who crashes into the back of another vehicle is always at fault.
Where do most accidents happen?
Most accidents occur at intersections, especially four-way intersections. The complexity of dealing with multiple vehicles coming from more than one direction increases the risk of a driver making a mistake. All it takes is a single driver to make a mistake to cause a wreck that could draw in multiple vehicles.
What is the safest time to drive for car accident prevention?
Earlier driving is statistically the best time to drive if you want to avoid an accident. Statistically, this is between 3 am and 6 am because this is when you’re at a lower risk of encountering an intoxicated driver but before the initial morning rush hour.
Ideally, you want to avoid driving during the heavy traffic of morning rush hour, the lunch rush hour, and the evening rush hour because if there are fewer vehicles on the road, you’re less likely to fall victim to another driver’s mistake.
