Why do we get into wrecks? New research reveals that as much as we want to blame the roads we drive on, it is often not the case. Let's be honest, ask a group of Utahns if they believe there are bad drivers on their roads, and you'll get a resounding yes. Yet no one ever admits to being one of them.
A recent study conducted in Pennsylvania has shed some light on why we get into car accidents. The data, which was collected between 2009 and 2014 discovered that the vast majority of those crashes are the result of human error, not uncontrollable factors. After the data was presented, many other state officials commented on seeing similar patterns in their states.
So what were the biggest factors that led to car accidents? We're glad you asked.
Aggressive Driving
The vast majority of collisions that occur on our roadways are the result of aggressive driving. Aggressive driving include speeding, tailgating and cutting people off. While many law officials will evaluate up to 20 different factors to determine that a collision was caused by aggressive driving, they often find that those three were the most common.
Remarkably, up to two-thirds of the car accident data that was evaluated were the result of aggressive driving. Many crashes boil down to driver impatience. "There is always someone who wants to get somewhere faster than someone else," said a state trooper.
Distracted Driving
Another large reason people get into car accidents, and we've touched on it before, is distracted driving. By definition, distracted driving is performing any activity that takes away a driver's attention from operating their vehicle.
Whether doing make-up, shaving, changing a song on your iPod, dealing with your kids in the backseat, or most commonly playing on your cell phone, it happens every single day.
Many law officials point out that we as drivers are far too busy multitasking while we drive, when operating a vehicle requires single tasking.
Driving While Impaired
This always comes up when discussing car accidents, and recently on our Utah streets a man was killed at the hand of a driver who was believed to be driving while impaired by drugs. No matter how many DUI and sobriety checkpoints that law enforcement sets up and no matter how many public service announcements that are run, people still drive while impaired.
Admittedly, DUI and impaired driving is more often than not associated with alcohol, however many officials report a rising number of impaired drivers who are on opioids, over-the-counter, and prescription drugs, that when abused, can impact drivers.
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