The number of wrong-way car crashes has increased steadily in the past decade, and the trend continues. Unfortunately, this type of accident is one of the most fatal because it is usually a head-on collision between two vehicles driving at high speed. Additional cars are also often hit due to their proximity to the two colliding vehicles.
Even though wrong-way car crashes are less common than others, they deserve special attention because they can be so severe. There are things we can do as drivers to prevent these accidents. In these times when everyone carries mobile phones and technology devices in their vehicles, we must understand the most common causes of these accidents.
Is it possible to prevent wrong-way car crashes?
While it is impossible to avoid altogether any possibility of being involved in a car accident, there are things we can do to lower the risk of being in an accident.
In the case of wrong-way car crashes, not surprisingly, alcohol is the main reason for these accidents. However, it does not stop there. There are many other factors.
Additional factors that place you at a much higher risk of being involved in this type of accident are:
- The driver’s age
- The use of technology while driving
- Driving under the influence of a controlled substance
- Driving at night
- Driving illegally
While some of these factors may seem obvious to many, others are not so obvious. For example, drivers over the age of 70 are at a higher risk of being involved in one of these accidents. The same is true for young drivers, who often do not respect driving laws.
Driving under alcohol is an obvious risk, but what about prescription medication? There is not enough awareness that in some cases, prescription drugs can impair an individual’s ability to drive normally and respond naturally as one would in an accident. It does not hurt to check with your doctor to make sure that anything you take does not impair your ability to drive.
Wrong-way car crashes are serious. These accidents are usually fatal. It is critical to understand this, be as cautious as possible while driving, and consider the risk factors mentioned above before you get on the road.
