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Driving is more than transportation. It’s a task that requires you to pay attention and use your thinking skills at all times. Each decision you make could be a factor that contributes to a car accident. This also applies to off-road choices, such as keeping up with maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. Knowing more about the top causes of car accidents could help you prevent these incidents and protect your safety and investment. The professionals from Altra Insurance Services, the premier providers of auto insurance San Diego drivers trust for reliable, high-quality service, explain the most common reasons auto accidents happen.
Speeding
Running late for work, school, or an appointment could cause you to drive faster than usual and exceed the speed limit. Doing so could lead to accidents and injuries, both to you and other drivers.
The inability to stop your vehicle in time because of excessive speed is one of the reasons you could have an accident. You need to pay close attention to speed limits because they can change quickly, going up or down depending on the area.
Avoidable Distractions
Most distractions are due to talking on the phone or texting while you’re driving or looking at diversions in the surrounding area instead of focusing on the road ahead and nearby drivers. When you’re distracted, you could accidentally drift out of your lane without looking or drive through a red light or stop sign. As a result, you put yourself, other drivers, and passengers at serious risk.
Although texting and holding a phone while driving in California is illegal, some drivers still do it. Therefore, avoid using a smartphone, tablet, or other distracting device unless you’ve parked your car safely and securely. Make sure to focus on the road and ignore distractions unless they’re emergencies that require immediate attention. In these instances, it would be best to pull your car over to a safe location to address the issue and avoid an accident.
Lack of Car Maintenance
A broken windshield wiper may seem like a minor issue, but if it’s a rainy or snowy day, it could lead to a severe accident and significant vehicle damage. Have your car inspected regularly to avoid incidents due to unrepaired damage or a lack of proper maintenance. Even a thorough inspection by you or a family member could miss damage a professional could find. When your vehicle is well maintained, you can drive safely and avoid issues like trying to stop with damaged brakes, experiencing engine failure due to missed oil changes, or being unable to drive safely at night because of the failure to replace a burned-out headlight bulb.
Driving Under the Influence
Drunk driving is one of the top causes of car accidents, but it’s easy to prevent. Going out to have an alcoholic beverage with friends, coworkers, and family members is something many people enjoy. Still, they should arrange other transportation instead of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Even a couple of drinks can change your vision, thinking, and ability to operate a vehicle properly, increasing the risk of a minor or major accident. In addition to using a ride sharing service, you could enlist someone who doesn’t drink or has chosen to remain sober for the outing to drive you and others home.
Whether you’ve been in an accident or not, it’s important to make sure you find the most affordable car insurance in Chula Vista to protect yourself in the future. If you need affordable, reliable car insurance, look no further than the trustworthy pros at Altra Insurance Services. We can take care of a variety of your insurance needs, including motorcycle, homeowners, and business insurance. Give us a call today at (619) 404-6311 to find out more about our high-quality insurance products and impeccable service.