What are the main dangers of the road?
**A contributed post as written for The Safe Driver.
There has been terrific progress made in the safety of vehicles and of the roads as a whole, but they’re not perfect. In fact, they’re still something of a big problem. Each year, somewhere in the region of 1.5 million people die due to accidents on the roads, and you can imagine that many others suffer major and minor injuries. So what is it about the roads that make them so dangerous, beyond the fact that you have a metal machine travelling at 100 km/h? We take a look below.
Loss of Concentration
In many ways, new drivers are the safest because they’re always thinking about what they’re doing. They’re using their mirrors, holding the steering wheel correctly, and all around doing the things that drivers are supposed to do. More experienced drivers don’t always do these things. They pick up on the right way to act in a car, and driving just becomes second nature to them. However, when they begin to do things on autopilot, bad habits creep in. And when something goes wrong, they’re often slow to react because they’ve been daydreaming about something else. Many people, after a car accident, say “I was thinking about something else.”
Other Drivers
If you’re a confident, reliable driver, then you can be relatively certain that you can get into a car and not have any problems on the road. The issue, therefore, is with other drivers, who might not be as responsible behind the wheel as you are. We’ve all seen dangerous drivers on the roads, the people who go too fast, or use their phone, or switch lanes even when it’s not completely clear for them do so. If you’re in an accident due to the actions of one of these people, then contact a firm like Emroch & Kilduff, and get justice. It won’t undo the damage that has been done, but will surely that those responsible are held accountable.
Poor Weather
Whenever you see a car vehicle, the scene is usually of a clear road and a clear blue sky day. In reality, how often do those days occur? Not as many as the advertisers make out. If you live in a place that gets lashed with rain during the fall and winter seasons, then you’ll have to contend with difficult driving conditions. As such, it’s a good idea to learn the alterations you should make to your vehicle and driving habits before the seasons change.
Unreliable Vehicles
Cars aren’t meant to last forever. They can last a long time, of course, but eventually they’ll give out, even if you are staying on top of maintenance. As such, it’s important that you’re retiring a vehicle before it becomes dangerous. They’re one of those things that you shouldn’t push to the limit.
Not Knowing Where You’re Going
Finally, keep in mind that most minor accidents occur when a person’s in unfamiliar territory, usually a city. Then, they’re often veering back into the lane after realising they made the wrong turn and so on, putting other people in danger.