The Top Five Causes of Car Crashes—And How to Prevent Them

Having a car provides us with freedom. You can drive your car on a memorable road trip, it can be your main way to get to work, and you can even use your vehicle to make money with a rideshare or food delivery app.

Having a car can greatly increase your quality of life, but it also has the potential to ruin it if you end up in a car accident.

If you know the main causes of car crashes—and you know how to prevent them—you can stay safe on the road.

Driver Error

Driver error is the main cause of head-on crashes. Driver error includes mistakes that drivers make, as well as lapses in judgement that have the potential to cause an accident.

Examples of driver error include:

• Speeding
• Drowsy driving
• Improper lane changes
• Failure to yield the right way of
• Making a turn that’s too wide
• Overcorrecting after running off the road

It’s true that driver error isn’t always something you can prevent. When you have a split second to react, sometimes, the decision you make is the wrong one. However, there are still plenty of things you can do to reduce driver error.

First, make sure you drive the speed limit. If you don’t know what the speed limit is, assume it’s 25mph in a residential area, 35mph in a commercial area, 55mph on the highway, and 65mph on the interstate. If you want to know for sure, open your phone’s GPS and Google Maps will tell you.

Make sure you follow other rules of the road. Check both rearview mirrors and signal ahead of time when changing lanes, and know who has the right of way.

Having a hard time keeping your eyes open after a bad night of sleep or an especially long day at work? Consider calling in or find another way to get to and from work.

Reckless Driving

Driver error and reckless driving are often thought about interchangeably, but they are different. Driver error results in true accidents where the driver doesn’t realize in the moment that what they’re doing is dangerous. Reckless driving, on the other hand, includes decisions that drivers know are dangerous and could possibly result in an accident.

A few examples of reckless driving include:

• Running red lights
• Driving while intoxicated
• Excessive speeding and racing
• Passing over a double yellow line
• Passing a stopped school bus

Many reckless driving habits are the result of trying to make up time. You drive faster, run red lights, and pass slower drivers even when it isn’t safe to do so because you want to get to your final destination quickly.

It turns out that all of these habits aren’t helping you get to where you’re going any faster. Even on a longer, 50-mile trip, you’ll only save about six minutes, and that’s only if you experience the perfect trip. You’re likely to run into stop signs, stop lights, and slow traffic, which means saving even less time.

Skip the reckless driving. It isn’t worth saving a few minutes on the road if it means compromising your safety.

Distracted Driving

At the intersection of driver error and reckless driving is distracted driving. These habits seem benign, but deep down, drivers know they are dangerous.

They include behaviors like:

• Eating and drinking
• Using your stereo or navigation system
• Doing your hair or your makeup
• Parenting loud or rowdy kids in the backseat

Of course, the biggest culprit of distracted driving is cell phone use. Even if you go hands-free, it still increases your chances of getting into an accident.

Turn your phone on mute and leave it in the backseat. Turn off notifications if you need to use your phone’s GPS.

Take a moment to realize that driving is the most dangerous thing most of us do every day. When you treat it as a dangerous activity, you’re less likely to do your hair or eat a snack behind the wheel.

When it comes to kids misbehaving in the backseat, pull over to reprimand them instead of yelling at them while you’re driving.

Bad Weather

Accidents aren’t always the driver’s fault. It could be a case of bad weather that causes an accident.

The best way to avoid accidents due to bad weather is to avoid driving. You should avoid driving altogether after an ice storm, or pull over on the side of the road during a downpour.

Some other things you can do if you are driving during severe weather include:

• Slow down to give yourself extra time to stop for vehicles ahead of you
• Never drive through rushing water, as it only takes 12 inches of water to carry away most cars
• Plan your route ahead of time so you can check road conditions and traffic
• Put together an emergency roadside kit with things like cell phone chargers, blankets, and water

Vehicle Malfunctions

Vehicle malfunctions can also cause an accident on the road. Common vehicle malfunctions that lead to an accident include:

• Faulty brakes
• Tire blowouts
• Driving at night without headlights or taillights
• Steering and suspension problems

The best way to avoid vehicle malfunctions like these is to have your vehicles serviced regularly.

Have your oil checked according to your vehicle’s schedule, and ask your mechanic to do a general inspection. They will look over your car’s systems and tell you if anything needs to be repaired or replaced before it causes problems on the road.

It also means finding a mechanic that you actually trust. Avoid shops that are too busy, as workers tend to rush through jobs. Get to know your mechanic and they will be more likely to provide you with high-quality service.

Sometimes, car accidents happen, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of ways you can reduce the likelihood of getting into a crash. By being aware of the most common causes of accidents—and knowing ways to avoid them—you can greatly reduce your chances of getting into a crash on the road.

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