Car accidents can lead to severe and even fatal injuries. Thousands of factors can lead to a car accident, and some are more prominent than others. After a year of intermittent lockdowns, the UK’s roads have been much quieter than usual. People made fewer long-haul drives and mainly stuck to pottering around their local area.
As offices reopen and people return to their busy schedules, the roads are becoming increasingly busy and somewhat dangerous. Many of us are a little out of practice with driving and not used to the roads being so busy. The UK government introduced a set of new driving laws to coincide with lockdown lifting in March 2021. The new laws outline a rise in car taxes, changes to parking limits and a crackdown on drivers using mobile phones.
If you are involved in a car accident, you need to stop the car immediately, switch off the engine and put on your hazard lights. Check for injuries on yourself and others involved and call for help if needed.
In a survey done by National Accident Helpline distracted driving was found to be the number one cause of accidents on the road. Usually, a motorist gets distracted by eating food, sending a text, and scrolling on social media while driving. The new laws ban drivers from even touching their mobile devices when driving a vehicle. If they get caught holding or touching the device, they will receive a £200 fine and six points on their license. Texting while driving is twice as likely to cause a crash compared to drink driving. Put your phone away and focus on the road.
Speeding is also a major cause of car accidents, especially when the driver is over the limit by 10, 20 or even 30mph. Speeding kills people every year, and the faster you are driving, the worse the outcome.
Driving under the influence is also dangerous and causes car accidents every day. You can avoid drunk driving by avoiding alcohol when you are the designated driver. Reckless driving often comes hand in hand with driving under the influence. If you disregard the rules of the road and other vehicles around you, you’re likely to end up in a car accident. Reckless drivers tend to be impatient with busy stretches of road and want to escape the traffic. Your impatience could severely injure other drivers.
Remember to stay alert while driving and watch out for reckless drivers on the roads.