Why have I had a car accident?
When you live in the states, it’s almost impossible not to have a car. Everyone drives everywhere. This means that people are generally quite safe and experienced on the road, but accidents happen, and if you’ve been in an accident you’ll need to look for lawyers to help. However, if you’ve been in an accident, you might be left feeling worried, upset and confused about why it happened. So why might you have had a car accident?
Your car was faulty
Whilst cars are often built more for appearances than functionality these days, some cars are safer than others. Cars designed for safety are now built with sophisticated air-bags, sturdy seatbelts and anti-lock braking systems. However, even if your car is a good design and make, it may have faults that led to your crash. The most common faults in a vehicle that could lead to car accidents are defective brakes and underinflated tires. So, before you get back in the car, make sure you get it serviced and checked for any issues.
You were tired
Drowsy driving is a common reason for car accidents in the US, and people often underestimate the impacts of their tiredness behind the wheel. If you were on a long drive and weren’t taking enough breaks, you may have fallen asleep whilst driving. If this happens, even momentarily, you could crash into a fellow vehicle or swerve off the road. Next time you go on a long drive, make sure you take plenty of stops and alternate driving driving with others if possible. Listening to the radio, having caffeinated drinks or chatting to a passenger could help to prevent this, too.
You were on the phone
Whilst it helps to talk to a passenger whilst driving to avoid tiredness, there are certain laws about talking on the phone whilst driving in America, which vary from state to state. Generally, whilst driving you should not speak on a hand-held phone or use your phone to text or go on social media. If you need to make a phone call, your phone should already be set up with a Bluetooth device that allows you to be hands free. Likewise, fiddling with a satnav whilst driving can distract you and take your hands off the wheel. So, if you were distracted by your phone in any way, this may have been the reason for your accident.
Your vision was impaired
There can be many reasons for someone’s vision to be impaired whilst driving. Bad weather conditions, for example, can cause issues, and mist or fog could mean that you couldn’t see the road in front of you. Bright sunlight could also have shone into your eyes and created a glare on the windscreen. Differently, you might not have been able to see the road because of issues with your eyesight that you may or may not have been aware of at the time of the accident. You may need to get an eye test to see if you need glasses or a change in prescription.