I’ve been watching vehicle accidents on YouTube and have found the following are the top reasons for accidents:
- Driving too fast for the conditions and surroundings
- Crossing an intersection
- Left turns
- U-turns
- Right turns
- Turning suddenly
- Turning without looking in your mirror
- Turning without using your turn signal
- Turning left from the right lane
- Turning right from the left lane
- Passing on the right
- Passing on the left
- Sudden breaking
- Not seeing around large vehicles
- Following too close
- Changing lanes
- Pulling out into the intersection before you are sure that it’s clear
- Stopping where it is unexpected (animals or pedestrians crossing)
- Driving at full speed when everyone else has slowed down or stopped
- Going through an intersection where everyone else is stopped
- Swerving too suddenly (with no traction control)
- Not slowing down and steering away from threat
- Not looking where you are going
- Falling asleep
- Drunk driving
- Not looking both ways before crossing
- Stalled vehicle in the road
- Motorcycle splitting lanes
- Icy, snowy, wet roads
- Running red lights
- Not yielding
- Following so close that you can’t see what’s about to happen in front of the large vehicle in front of you
- Vehicles with no traction control (federally required in U.S. in 2012)
- Sunlight in your eyes
- Heavy fog or snow
- Opening a door without looking in your mirror first
- Stopped in the road at night with no lights on
- Two people not paying attention
- Vehicle malfunction
- Tire blowout causing vehicle to change lanes
- Tire blowout causing vehicle to roll
- Wheels that have fall off and roll down the road
- Dangerous intersection design
- Standing in the middle of the street
- Backing up with no backup camera
- Wind blows gate into your vehicle