Despite safety advances over the last few decades and extensive efforts to educate drivers about safe driving practices, car accidents remain prevalent. Everyone who has ever been in even a minor automobile accident knows that dealing with them is troublesome and time-consuming. You have to contact the insurance company, get estimates, talk to police and possibly even go to court. Even worse, a major accident can result in serious injury or death. The good news is that most car accidents are preventable. They occur as a result of factors that drivers can control. Below is a discussion of five common causes of car accidents.

All details herein contained are provided on behalf of the Tucson personal injury lawyer firm of Goldberg & Osborne, and are for informational purposes only.

1. Distracted Driving

Distracted driving includes talking on a cell phone, texting, sending or reading email, changing radio stations or CDs, disciplining children, dealing with a pet, applying makeup, engaging in personal grooming, rubbernecking at an accident site, eating, looking at scenery, conversing with passengers, drinking a beverage, adjusting temperature controls and reading a book, newspaper or map. There are other distractions as well. Studies show that most people who have cell phones use them while driving. Other studies show that cell phone use increases the chance of an automobile accident four-fold. Consequently, a number of local governments have outlawed cell phone use by drivers. Other distractions significantly increase accident risk, too. Changing a radio station does not seem like an act that can cause a car crash, but that momentary distraction is often enough to cause a wreck.

2. Drunk Driving

People who are drunk simply lack the ability to operate a motor vehicle properly. As a result, many car accidents involve people who have been drinking. Not only does drinking and driving increase the risk of an accident, it also increases the risk of fatal accidents. More than half of all fatal automobile accidents on weekends involve alcohol.

3. Driving Under the Influence of Drugs

Drugs include both legal and illegal drugs and the legal drugs include both prescription and nonprescription medications. Drugs impair a driver’s ability to operate a car. Even something as benign as cold medicines can make drivers drowsy. A recently published study by Dalhousie University researchers found that people who smoked marijuana and drove up to three hours later were twice as likely to be involved in a car accident than drivers who did not use marijuana.

4. Weather Conditions

Rain, snow, sleet, ice, fog, and high winds frequently cause automobile accidents because they reduce visibility, degrade road surfaces and place debris on the roadway. Not only do slick road surfaces, poor visibility and road debris cause accidents, but so too does excessive speed in these conditions. Frequently, drivers overestimate their ability to navigate inclement conditions and drive too fast. This excess speed gives drivers little time to react to skids, slides and debris.

5. Aggressive and Reckless Diving

Aggressive drivers tailgate other drivers, frequently change lanes to gain position, pass other cars even when there is not enough space or distance to pass safely, flash lights at other drivers to express anger, make rude gestures, do not signal their intentions, and often ignore traffic signs. Reckless drivers are not so much aggressive as they are unconcerned. They often ignore the rules of the road and speed limits because they just don’t want to follow the rules. They are not overly concerned about staying in their lanes or obeying traffic signs. For obvious reasons, aggressive and reckless drivers are often responsible for car accidents.

Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm, has made this material available only for informational purposes. The material was written by an independent author. The law firm neither reviewed nor edited the material and cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies.