The 5 Most Common Car Accidents

Common types of car crashes are usually unexpected and while most are not fatal, their effect can leave lasting physical, emotional, and financial impact on our lives. The more informed you are about the various types of car accidents, the better chance you may have to avoid the effects of a car accident or car accident injury. 

Rear-End Collisions happen most often when an individual follows too closely behind the car in front (tailgating) and it suddenly stops. Usually, there isn’t a lot of catastrophic damage to the involved vehicles, however, it can result in subtle injuries to drivers and passengers that can go unnoticed and develop into more serious issues. Tailgating is a dangerous practice that can lead to road rage. If someone is tailgating you be observant and always mindful behind the wheel. 

Single Vehicle Crashes are often associated with rough conditions and distractions. Running off the road, slipping on ice, spinning out of control, hitting stationary objects, and losing control at the wheel contribute to these types of crashes. Reaching for your cell phone, changing the music, and responding to texts are the most common reasons for distracted driving while joyriding and traveling at high speeds diminishes your ability to circumvent unexpected danger. 

T-Bone or Cross-Traffic Accidents mainly take place at intersections. A multi-vehicle accident can be difficult to avoid since they happen as a result of negligence while behind the wheel. Drivers that accidentally run a red light, stop sign or take a left turn without giving the right-of-way. To lessen the possibility of cross-traffic accidents, take your time while passing through intersections. Hover over your brake pedal with your foot, keep your eyes up, and your head on a swivel. 

Side impact collisions while merging are usually the result of a merging driver failing to adequately check their blind spots. If you are in the right lane while a driver is trying to merge, gauge the distance and assist their merge attempt by speeding up or slowing down. If you are merging, ensure that you accelerate enough to join the flow of traffic. As you get up to speed, pay attention to the drivers on your left and the amount of space you have to merge. Teamwork truly makes the dream work, but not everyone is a team player on the road. 

Low-Speed Accidents might not be the worst of your worries, but they can still do a significant amount of damage. Bumps, fender-benders, parking-lot collisions,  and collisions below the speed limit often happen in residential areas. In these areas, it’s important to keep your eyes peeled for pedestrians. Many low-speed accidents happen while drivers are backing up, so please take an extra moment to look out for other drivers or anyone passing by. 

Whenever we are behind the wheel, it can be a little too easy to become side-tracked or distracted. A text from a friend or loved one can turn a quick glance into a failure to adequately check our surroundings. An animal trying to dart across the road on a dark night can ruin a drive home. Encountering drivers that are less experienced than we are can lead to frustration on the pavement. If someone treats you unfairly on the road, don’t get mad or get even. Negative emotions can have a lot of power to harm our lives if we don’t exercise a strong sense of self-control.  In the moments when a collision happens, we quickly realize where we dropped the ball and wish that we could go back in time to change how it happened. 

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