ALT-1 Car Accident
The statistics back up the claims that there are still way too many car accidents in North America alone, never mind the rest of the world. When Fall turns to Winter and we get our first dusting of snow and icy roads, the number of daily accidents spikes, as drivers continue driving the same way they had been all Summer long. So, is it the weather conditions that make up for the spike in accidents on the first snowfall of the year, or is it because drivers have no clue how to drive in snowy and icy conditions? Could it be both?Accident companies claim that the weather accounts for approximately 35% of accidents, either rain, snow, sleet or hail. And, when it falls, accidents never fail to happen. One of the main problems, during these tough recessionary times, is that drivers are either waiting until after the snow starts to fly before putting snow tires on their cars, or they are relying upon their all season radial tires to get them through the Winter, saving the cost of a new set of snow tires. All season tires are not very good on ice or snow covered roads, unless new or fairly new (and even then, they are not even a half as good as snow tires for traction on snowy or icy road conditions).The common causes of car accidents are;* Weather. During snow storms, or when the temperature falls below freezing, drivers need to increase the distance between themselves and the vehicle(s) in front of them by at least an extra 5 to 10 seconds. You can count that by noting when the vehicle in front of you passes a landmark, and count the seconds until you pass the same landmark. If the time between the two vehicles is less than 5-10 seconds, slow down a bit and leave more distance between you. And, the weather networks, news programs, police and insurance companies plead with all drivers to stay at home unless absolutely necessary to go out in your vehicle on bad weather days.* Driver Distraction. Driver distraction is fast becoming the most popular cause for car accidents. With GPS systems, satellite radio, IPod docking stations, cell phones and PDAs taking your attention from the road, even if just for 4 or 5 seconds, that is more than enough time to cross over the median and into oncoming traffic. In many Provinces in Canada it is now illegal to drive while talking on the cell phone. It is also illegal to drive while using a razor, putting on lipstick or other makeup, reading the newspaper (don't laugh, it actually is a recorded statistic for car accident causes), programming the GPS system, reading email, or undertaking any other task that takes the driver's attention away from their task at hand; driving.* Poor or Wrong Tires. Driving on frozen roads, covered in snow and/or ice with tires that have poor treads is an accident waiting to happen. Saving $500 to avoid getting a new set of tires really is not worth the cost that it can cause, as poorly treaded tires have almost no traction at all on slippery roads, let alone icy roads. If you live where the weather regularly drops to well below freezing, then there is no excuse for not having proper snow tires with good treads.* Vehicle Condition. The brakes must be in perfect working order when driving in the Winter, since if they seize, your car will slide until it eventually comes to a stop, usually either in a ditch or up against another vehicle (an accident!). In the Summer you may be able to glide the vehicle to a stop with faulty brakes, but no so easily on icy roads. The oil should be changed every six months for newer cars, and every three months for older cars, and the spark plugs should be changed every 10,000 Kilometers in order to keep the engine in good running order. When driving in the Winter, gas lines can freeze, timing belts crack and frey, and other problems can cause the vehicle to break down.* Driver Skill. Driver skill, or more specifically the lack thereof, is a major cause of car accidents. For many people, when they are faced with driving in Wintry weather conditions for the first time, have no idea how to control a skid. They don't know which way to turn the steering wheel when the car is sliding, or whether to brake or just let their foot off of the gas, or even when to downshift (even in a vehicle with an automatic transmission) to slow the vehicle down on icy roads.Practice really does make perfect, so if you are not completely comfortable with your skill level while driving in poor weather conditions, wait until the weather clears up to drive. If you need to get to work, have someone who is good at driving in poor weather conditions drive you in, take public transport, a taxi or car pool.Knowing the common causes of car accidents gives you a small edge, as long as you remember them and learn how to control your vehicle in all types of weather. You should learn how to drive in all forms of weather by practicing in empty shopping mall parking lots. Just beware of the light posts and shopping carts.
