Driving is quite easily one of the most convenient ways to get you around and to places on time. However, it’s much less convenient after you’ve been involved in an accident and are thus paying through the roof for insurance. With 186,209 casualties occurring due to motorway accidents in 2015, it’s clear to see how dangerous road accidents can be, so it’s important to take your driving seriously and stay aware at all times.
Speeding
The speed limit within the UK is 70, but the majority of people on motorways will exceed that limit to an average of about 80. A 10 mile per hour difference might not seem a lot, but in reality, 10 miles an hour can be the difference between a life and a death. It’s a simple concept that the faster you’re driving, the slower your car can react to an emergency stop ahead, ultimately resulting in a collision that could kill you, the person in front, or even both in severe cases. Even away from motorways, speeding elsewhere can result in a fatality. For example, exceeding a speed limit of 20 around school premises could result in running over a child, so it’s important to stick to the speed limits. If in a rush, you should have left earlier.
Weather Conditions
It’s extremely naïve to believe that the weather forecast will have no effect on your driving ability. People underestimate the effects of a little bit of rain, and consequently make no adjustments to their driving technique, which can result in a collision. To ensure safety, you should double the stopping distance between yourself and the car in front when the roads are wet, as that way your car will have more time to stop after sliding on the water. Even more severe is snow and ice, as skidding risks become so much more likely. Drive with utmost caution if in snowy conditions, as it’ll be increasingly difficult to control your car when there is ice beneath the tyres.
Driving Under the Influence
Where alcohol is the most common distortion to make people have a road accident, driving under the influence involves drugs too. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions and makes it more difficult to control your actions and movements. Therefore, without complete coordination, your driving will become sloppy and dangerous. Car accidents occur daily because of alcohol consumption. In 2014, 240 were killed from drink driving, along with 1070 injured, resulting in an average of 3 accidents a day, showing the tragic effect of alcohol on your body. Similarly, drugs are a huge driving hazard, with several accidents happening a year due to the lowered attention that you have whilst under the influence.
Phone Usage
Now that we are in the digital age, people have become attached to their phones and so bring them and use them everywhere. However, behind the wheel should not be one of those places. Taking your eyes of the road for significant amounts of time is a disaster waiting to happen, as you have absolutely no awareness of what it taking place in front you. A car could have stopped, or a person may have walked out into the road, but you wouldn’t know about it. Simply checking your phone for a text or to change a song could cost someone their life, so it really isn’t worth the risk.
