An accident is an event that happens unexpectedly but this does not imply that they cannot be prevented from occurring. The truth is that most accidents that happen along our roads can be prevented. If we first know the causes of car accidents along our roads, we can then find appropriate measures to be taken to avoid them from occurring.
The UK Car Accident Statistics Report
- In the United Kingdom, there are over 40,000 accidents cases recorded per year.
- In the report, at least 3000 people die every month
- Over 30,000 cases have been reported as seriously injured and taken to hospitals for treatment
- About 9990 cases reported in 2011 involved drunk drivers
- Accidents in the year 2011, had cost the UK economy about £15 billion
The following are some of the main causes of car accidents:
- Equipment failure. The braking system may fail to work properly after the discs have become very hot and therefore become difficult to stop during emergencies.
- Car tires may also be worn out and hence make the car to be imbalanced
- Poor steering system makes it difficult to avoid some obstacles and therefore cause collisions.
- Poor roadway design makes it difficult to drive
- The roads may have some obstacles that block the visibility of pedestrians especially when the road has many corners
- The presence of many speed bumps can limit the speed of car and hence make it unstable when travelling at high speed.
- Two lane roadways make it hard to drive and may cause head on collisions
- Poor weather
- Snow along the roads can make the vehicle lose balance
- Heavy rains can lead to poor visibility on the roads
- Poor maintenance of roads
- Debris and potholes may cause some minor accidents along the road due to poor maintenance of the roads
- Behavior of drivers and pedestrians
- Some drivers may cause accidents after drinking or using mobile phones while driving which can distract them.
- Driving at high speed is also a major cause of accidents as it becomes difficult to control the vehicle.
- Deliberate prevention of an overtaking car by aggressive drivers
- Car accidents prevention measures
Once the causes have been known, the following measures can be taken to avoid accidents along the roads:
- Regular maintenance of the vehicles
- The car should be taken for regular check ups by skilled mechanics after every 500 miles of travelling. The mechanics should also check the braking system, steering system and the tires.
- Roadways should be properly designed
- Avoid two way lanes and if possible try to have few speed bumps
- The roads should not have many obstacles along the way
- Reduce speed during bad weather to enable easy control of the vehicles
- Road repair and maintenance. This will ensure that any potholes and cracks are filled. Any debris on the roads should be removed as soon as possible.
- Immediate reporting of any aggressive drivers on the roads. The traffic police should take appropriate measures to the misbehaving drivers.
- Avoid overtaking other vehicles traveling at high speed
- Avoid taking improper turns on the roads which may lead to accidents
If all the above mentioned measures are taken, they shall help to reduce the number of car accidents along the roads and therefore save many lives.