Georgia roadways claim the lives of over 1,500 people per year. This puts it on the list of being one of the most dangerous states to drive in throughout the country. By understanding the most common causes of these fatal accidents, drivers can help to mitigate the risk of being involved in a deadly accident.
Distracted driving
One of the leading causes of car accidents is distracted driving. The term distracted driving encompasses a large spectrum of different behaviors that pull a driver’s attention away from the roadway. Some common examples of this are texting, talking on the phone, eating or even zoning out for a brief moment while behind the wheel. It only takes a couple of seconds for an accident to occur. To help avoid being distracted while driving, it’s important to always focus your attention on the task at hand.
Speeding
Another common culprit of vehicular accidents is speeding. It may be surprising to find out just how much of a distance you need in order for your brakes to successfully stop your vehicle at different speeds. For instance, if your car is going 31 miles per hour, it will take you 45 feet to come to a complete stop. Add just another 10 miles per hour to your driving speed, and your braking distance will increase to 80 feet.
Drowsy driving
Driving while you’re drowsy can be a disaster. Being fatigued is very similar to being drunk in the sense of how your body reacts to different instances. Drowsy drivers have a longer reaction time and are less likely to make good decisions. In some of the worst cases, drowsy drivers actually fell asleep behind the wheel.
The United States has over 6 million car accidents that occur each year. Many of these car accidents are a result of the three common culprits that we went over above. It’s a driver’s responsibility to ensure that they’re not partaking in any one of these activities as they’re putting other drivers on the roadway in danger if they do.