Car accidents are something that no driver wants to experience. While there’s no surefire way to prevent them, you can make sure to be careful when in accident hot-spots. These areas, like tricky driving spots, tend to have drivers at more of a risk than others…
Accident Hot-Spots: Where To Be Careful
Close to home
You might think that those long road trips are where many accidents happen. However, driving close to home is actually more risky. In fact, the area around your home up to 25 miles is one of the most common accident hot-spots. This is due to people slipping into their “comfort zone” and not paying attention because they feel familiar with the area.
However, there are ways to keep yourself safe. For starters, don’t slip into this “comfort zone” feeling when driving. Just because you know the area doesn’t mean an accident couldn’t occur, so always pay attention. Plus, remember to always have things like your seat belt on, even if you’re just going around the corner.
Specific times
Certain timescan also turn the roads into accident hot-spots. It’s no surprise that more cars on the road means a higher chance of accidents occurring. The most dangerous of these times is “rush hour” in the late afternoon and evening. In fact, during this time, nearly 16% of fatal car accidents occurred in 2013 alone.
The next most dangerous time is at night, from 6 p.m. to midnight. This is because of the combination of low visibility, and tired drivers. If you have to drive during these times, make sure you stay alert and watch for other drivers who may be dangerous.
The back roads
While city driving can certainly leave you stressed, it’s actually doesn’t lead to cities being accident hot-spots. In fact, more accidents tend to happen in rural areas instead. This is due to a few factors, mainly being more poorer-quality roads, as well as drivers who aren’t familiar with them.
If you find yourself in an area like this, it’s best to take things slow and steady. Speeding on a beat-up road could cause you to get into an accident you could’ve avoided. If you’re lost, try using something like your phone’s GPS to plot a course to safety.