About 1.3 million people lose their lives in road crashes every year, averaging 2,287 people per day. Moreover, car accidents result in about 50 million disabled or injured individuals.
While we generally call it a crash, the truth is that road accidents can be of many types and not all may involve cars. Let’s have a look at the five most common road accidents:
Side-Impact Collisions
These crashes occur when one vehicle hits another vehicle on the side. Almost 27% of all road accidents are side-impact collisions.
Side-impact collisions can be very dangerous as the vehicle has little space to handle the impact. These accidents can be of different types, the most common being the T-bone crash. An example of an occurrence is when one vehicle runs a stop light and crashes into another vehicle.
The best way to avoid such collisions is to keep an eye on the road and stay in your lane.
Rear-End Accidents
Read-end accidents are the most common type of road accidents in the US, according to a report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They make up about 29% of all road accidents and can be very disastrous.
They may be the result of tailgating, a situation in which one vehicle follows another with very little distance between the two. Brakes may not be very effective if the vehicle in the front comes to a sudden halt due to a red light or other such reason.
A large number of these accidents also occur when the car in the front stops to prevent a collision, resulting in the car in the back colliding into it.
Other than this, distracted driving is also a major cause of such rear-end collisions. The best way to prevent rear-end accidents is to avoid distractions and follow at a safe distance.
Multi-Vehicle Collisions
This is a surprisingly common type of collision that usually occurs on busy roads and highways. They’re typically more dangerous than most other types of crashes due to the number of impacts a car may receive from multiple angles.
Reverse Crashes
These accidents are usually not very serious due to the low speed of the vehicle involved. They occur when the driver tries to reverse the vehicle and crashes into another vehicle, object, or person behind.
The best way to reduce these accidents is to be careful when reversing by keeping an eye on what’s behind you. You can also use the rear camera (if installed) for this purpose.
Head-On Crashes
Head-on collisions are the most frequently fatal road accidents and usually occur at high speeds. This type of accident may involve other cars and objects, including road signs and trees. A large number of head-on crashes also involve drivers driving under the influence.
The best way to reduce such accidents is to stay alert and avoid driving at very high speeds.