The Most Common Sites of Automobile Accidents

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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Doctors Be Aware

[By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA]

By Nalley Collision Center

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Even with the latest safety features, the risk of an automobile crash or collision is never far away from the minds of most drivers. This is especially the case for some doctors who may have a proclivity to drive expensive automobiles.

But, where are the most common sites for automobile accidents? With the summer upon us – and the long Independence Day weekend – we may have the answers.

The Sites

One popular old statistic suggested that most accidents occur near the home, and numerous road safety campaigns have encouraged drivers not to be complacent as they drive along the streets in their local neighborhood. But, there are also several more specific places where automobile accidents are most common.

Car Parks

Car parks and lots are confined spaces full of motorists engaging in difficult maneuvers around other vehicles, while pedestrians walk around them. In general, the accidents are minor scrapes and dents, but they are very common indeed.

Junctions

It’s not surprising that intersections between roads are likely to produce more than their fair share of accidents. Whether it’s a rear end crunch for the driver suddenly forced to stop while turning, or a side-impact caused by a momentary loss of concentration, junctions are common crash locations.

The good news is that traffic should normally be moving relatively slowly at intersections, so damage is often limited to little more than scratched paintwork and injured pride.

Stoplights

Although unregulated intersections can pose safety problems for drivers, stoplights themselves bring their own challenges. They regulate traffic flow, and can lead to rear end collisions when drivers have to stop suddenly. Sometimes one rear end impact can result in a pile-up as the cars behind also fail to stop in time in a chain reaction. As many stoplights are associated with pedestrian crossings, these accidents have the potential to be serious.

Country Roads

Driving along an empty country road, a driver could be forgiven for thinking that the risk of auto accidents would be low. Unfortunately this appears not to be the case. Country roads are common accident sites for two reasons.

The fact that they are so quiet, and often straight with little variety in the landscape, means that motorists can find themselves losing concentration (often even falling asleep) for just a couple of moments, which is all it takes for a car to end up in a ditch by the side of the road.

Also, of course, rural highways tend not to be as well maintained as busy urban routes, and potholes and other debris also contribute to accidents.

Busy Roads

But, if quiet country roads are common accident sites, so are busy two (or more) lane roads. The reason why busy roads are dangerous is that with several lanes of traffic in each direction, sometimes with no barrier, drivers have no way of avoiding a head-on collision if, for example, a vehicle drifts towards the road’s center, or if a car pulls out into oncoming traffic to overtake the vehicle in front without checking the road ahead.

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Assessment

Doctors, medical professionals and all motorists, have their work cut out, with quiet roads, busy roads, unregulated junctions, stoplights and car parks all providing rich scope for accidents. What this really illustrates, however, is the extent to which drivers cannot afford to let their attention slip for an instant when behind the wheel.

Conclusion

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