The Most Common Types of Car Accidents (and How to Avoid Them)

Every day, a countless number of people lose their lives in car accidents. Driving tends to become second nature after years of doing it, and as a result, many tend to overlook some of the dangerous habits developed. If everyone was more aware of the most common types of car accidents and actively took precautions in order to avoid making fatal mistakes while driving, the road could become a much safer place.

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions occur whenever a car runs into the car in front of it. Many times, this occurs because the second car is following the first car too closely, or the second car is not paying enough attention to the cars around it. These accidents can range in severity from a small fender bender to an accident that causes life-threatening injuries.

How to Avoid It:

• Keep at least a car’s distance between you and the car in front of you when driving, and increase that distance to two car lengths when on the interstate.
• Pay attention to the road at all times.
• Avoid making a phone call or sending a text message anytime you are driving.

Cross-Traffic Accidents

These accidents are also called “T-bone” incidents, and they occur whenever one car tries to cross traffic and another car hits its side. This tends to occur most commonly at stoplights and when crossing a road.

How to Avoid It:

• Look both ways before proceeding when a stoplight first turns green just in case another car is running a red light.
• Always look before turning out of the intersection onto the road.
• If it looks like another car might be close, don’t turn until they pass.

Sideswiping When Merging or Switching Lanes

The main cause of side-swiping accidents is the blind spot. These incidents occur when someone is changing lanes or merging onto a road and ends up merging into another car.

How to Avoid It:

• Always check your blind spot before you switch lanes or merge.
• Remember that cars are closer than they appear in your mirrors, so be sure to look over your shoulder quickly and check with your own eyes that there is enough room to come over.

Single Vehicle Crashes

These incidents are caused by a handful of conditions and only involve one vehicle. Many times these incidents can be caused by weather conditions such as wet or icy roads. A major cause of this is also overcorrecting. Many times, when someone begins to go off the road, they jerk the steering wheel too hard in the other direction, and this causes the car to either lose control, flip, or go into the wrong lane of traffic.

How to Avoid It:

• Drive with caution whenever weather conditions are less than ideal.
• Keep composure whenever your car begins to go off the road.
• Be sure to keep your full attention on the road, and avoid getting distracted.

Help from an Evansville Personal Injury Lawyer

If you were injured in a car accident in Evansville due to someone else’s negligence, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact Hensley Legal Group today for a free consultation or contact us online.