The 3 Most Common Causes of Car Wrecks

Minor car accidents are a hassle, while major car accidents are downright dangerous. But, learning about why car accidents occur and how you can prevent them can help you stay road safe. This article discusses the three most common causes of car wrecks and offers tips to keep them from happening to you. 

1. Rear-end wrecks: Nearly 30 percent of all car accidents are caused by a driver rear-ending another driver. And the vast majority of rear-end wrecks result from the former driver being distracted from the road. To avoid such accidents, always pay attention while driving. You may think you have time to mess with the radio dials or dig around your purse for your cell phone, but, in reality, it only takes a few seconds of distraction to significantly increase your likelihood of getting into an accident. 
    
2. Side-impact crashes: T-bone-type crashes, in which a driver collides with a car that has the right of way (usually in intersections), account for over 20 percent of car accident deaths. The high volume of resulting deaths occurs because the sides of cars have less space to protect passengers from the impact of a crash. To avoid such accidents, simply follow traffic laws. Fully stop at all red lights and stop signs and ensure that no one is entering the intersection from another direction when you take your turn. Also, consider buying a car equipped with head-protecting side airbags, which help prevent deaths from side-impact crashes. 
    
3. Hydroplaning: This phenomenon occurs when your car’s tires cannot push away water fast enough to make contact with the road, and, instead, glides over a thin layer of water until traction is regained. When hydroplaning, a driver has no control over the direction the car will travel. To avoid this occurrence, drive slowly when it’s raining or when water is otherwise present on the road. The slower you drive, the easier your tires can move the water out of the way in order to maintain traction. The water is moved by traveling through the treads in your tires, so double-check that your tires are in good shape and replace them when the treads wear down. If you do begin to hydroplane, avoid slamming on the brakes, which will only make matters worse. Instead, stop accelerating and apply gradual, steady pressure to the brakes so your car can coast down to a safer speed.