Know the facts: Road traffic accidents and how they can be avoided
If you asked anyone what they thought the main cause of road traffic accidents is, you can guarantee the majority will say speeding. With all the speed safety zones, bumps and cameras, as well as the various shocking ad campaigns against speed, it’s understandable why people assume this. But in actual fact travelling over the speed limit only accounts for a mere 7% of road accidents.
If you are a driver, the first and most important rule is to always stop at the scene of an accident, whether you are at fault or not. There could be someone injured and in need of medical attention, or there could be damage to one or both of the vehicles involved. After checking no-one is hurt, and checking for any visible damage, it is advisable to swap details with the other parties involved, as you may later find there is mechanical damage that was not immediately visible.
When swapping details, it is important to try to determine who was at fault in a calm manner. The person at fault may be obvious and they admit to it straight away, making civil and uncomplicated solution. However, if it appears unclear who was at fault, and no-one owns up to it, it is best for no-one to admit blame and to leave it to the insurance companies to decipher. Admitting blame when it may not be your fault will mean you and your insurance are responsible, and once admitted can be hard to go back on despite facts showing otherwise.
Drink driving is another well known issue, and drug driving has recently become just as serious. Thanks to advances in technology drink driving is detectable at the road side using a breathalyser, however drug driving is much harder to pick up. Drug driving incidents are often written off a drink driving or other causes that are easier to pin down, and therefore people don’t understand or have enough knowledge about the full effect of danger of drug driving.
Road safety should be priority for all drivers, and in most cases it is. However there are the few who cause the number of road deaths and accidents to remain, and this is due to small and simple acts that have catastrophic consequences. Keeping within speed limits, ignoring or switching off your phone, and leaving the recommended 2 second gap between yourself and the car in front can all help improve your focus and keep our roads safe for everyone.
Speak to an expert about road accident claims at MoneyBright.
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