What do you think are the common causes of car accidents? After reading this article, you will start to realise why it’s so important to have car insurance (even if you are a great driver, you can’t predict what others might do on the road).
Getting involved in a car accident is something none of us thinks might happen to us until that dreaded moment occurs.
Accidents happen to everyone
You can’t predict a car crash, but you can be prepared for this situation with comprehensive car insurance. One minute you are driving to get the groceries and the next someone skips the red robot and drives straight into your precious car.
Anxiety, stress, and fear are some of the emotions you might feel in that moment, and of course, you’re probably a little angry too. But the thing is, whether accidents are your fault or not, they happen to all of us. The best you can hope for is that no one gets hurt. Knowing what to do after a car accident will help with the process of your car insurance claim.
The first thing you need to do is remain calm. Take a deep breath, make sure you are not hurt (and no one else is either) and then get the other driver’s details, photos of their car’s registration, licence, and the accident scene. If there are any witnesses, get their personal accounts of the accident and their contact details.
Remember to NEVER admit blame or blame the other driver at the scene of an accident. Rather phone your insurer and let them sort it all out for you.
Here are some more tips to help prevent your car insurance claim from getting rejected.
The top causes of car accidents in South Africa
1. Distracted driving
Talking on your phone while driving, texting and driving, applying makeup, programming your GPS location and eating while driving are all major forms of distraction. The majority of accidents that arise as a result of distracted driving are due to drivers talking or texting on their cell phones.
Did you know that, according to an article in News24, the single use of a cell phone while driving results in 52 seconds of distracted driving? This translates to just over one kilometre of driving blind.
2. Drunk driving
According to the law and the SAPS, your blood is not allowed to have an alcohol content of more than 0.05%. This means that, for some of us, just one beer can put us over the limit. Even if you think you have a high alcohol tolerance, you may be over the limit.
Moral of the story: One drink is one too many.
Alcohol significantly impairs your ability to drive. You feel more relaxed, make silly mistakes and may not notice dangerous situations on the road or react to them in time. Drunk driving could cost you, you could end up in prison with a criminal record and a suspended licence, or, you could cause a fatal crash.
3. Speeding
Speed Kills – This is something your mother might have told you when you were a child, but there is still significant truth behind this saying. Speeding is and always has been one of the leading causes of car crashes. When you speed, your ability to avoid a crash is drastically reduced. As well as this, the faster you go the more serious your accident will be.
4. Driving recklessly
This point is in line with speeding. If you are always driving as if you are in a rush to be somewhere, chances are, you’re a reckless driver. Tailgating, changing lanes without checking your blind spot, skipping through orange robots, driving aggressively and flashing your lights at other drivers are all causes of car accidents.
Pretty much all of the drivers (yes, even you!)on our roads could use some deep breathing techniques when it comes to keeping their cool. What’s the rush? Plan your day better so that you never have to rush when you are driving. Take it easy. Relax and pay attention to the road and other drivers.
- Pedestrians
Pedestrians tend to take chances when they cross the road. Dashing and running across busy intersections and making little to no effort to make themselves more visible to drivers, particularly at night.
Other causes of road accidents
Here are some of the other main causes of crashes on our roads:
- Bad weather
- Potholes
- Tyres
- Brakes
Get covered for the unexpected
Car accidents are expensive to fix. And if your car is not able to be fixed, you will need to buy a new one out of pocket if you do not have car insurance.
Get yourself covered with comprehensive car insurance that lets you tailor your cover according to what you can afford with Oneplan.
Your Insurance Family,
Oneplan
