Everyday car accidents happen in Ireland in which most are caused by human error. Although most car accidents are minor, hundreads of lives are taken on our road every year. Sometimes these accidents can be avoided.
If you are aware of the common causes of a car accident, then you may be more likely to be more alert and on your guard whilst driving.
The list below is five of the most common causes of car accidents in Ireland and we have included some tips for drivers.
Common Causes of Car Accidents
Failing to look properly
Even though this might sound like an obvious point, but drivers failing to look properly is one of the main reasons accidents happen on our roads every year. Drivers being distracted can be a reason why they fail to look properly whilst driving. Distractions such as using a mobile phone, flicking through radio stations or even talking to a passenger can be some of the main reasons for driver distractions.
Being tired can be another reason why a driver may fail to look properly. Tiredness can have a serious impact of a driver’s reactions and awareness.
Speeding
There is no surprise that speeding is a major cause of car accidents. No matter how much you are over the limit, speeding is speeding.
The faster someone drives means they have less time to react. No matter how good a driver someone may be once the reaction time is reduced it means they have less time to prevent an accident from happening.
Driving under the influence
Drink driving is still a serious problem in Ireland. Despite many campaigns and stricter penalties, driving under in the influence of alcohol still happens. This is a major cause of car accidents on our roads.
Even though there is a legal limit for alcohol intake whilst driving, alcohol can affect every person differently. Alcohol should be avoided if you know you must drive. If you have been drinking it is also important to remember you may still be over the limit the following morning.
Weather Conditions
Even though car accidents can happen in all weather conditions poor weather conditions such as heavy rain, fog, snow, ice and high winds can increase the risk of a car accident happen.
It is extremely important to take extra care and attention if you must drive in these types of weather conditions. People who speed or drive carelessly in poor weather conditions can cause an accident.
Careless or Dangerous driving
Dangerous driving is a serious road offence. Behavior like quickly changing lanes, driving through red lights, speeding excessively over the limit and driving aggressively are all considered to be forms of careless and dangerous driving.
Its important to keep calm and avoid getting frustrated whilst driving to help prevent unnecessary car accidents from happening.