4 Major Causes of Traffic Collisions
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey,” over 97% of all motor vehicle crashes are caused by driver error. This is why motor vehicle crashes are not called “accidents” by law enforcement and driver education professionals. Accidents are just that, unintentional, unforseen mistakes. They happen all the time. We accidentally drop our cell phone, or accidentally walk into a glass door. When a vehicle blows through an intersection and collides with another vehicle or pedestrian — that isn’t an accident, but a preventable traffic collision.
What is Considered a Traffic Collision?
A traffic collision, also referred to as a motor vehicle collision, is when a vehicle makes contact with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal or stationary object. Even with good visibility and in the best of conditions, intersections are a high-risk area for collisions.
4 Major Causes of Traffic Collisions
Distracted Driving – One of the biggest and most common reasons for traffic collisions involves distracted driving and cell phone use.
Impaired Driving – Driving under the influence of mind altering substances (ie: alcohol, prescription drugs, cannabis etc.)
Speeding – For every 10 miles per hour over 50 mph, the risk of death in a traffic collision doubles.
Poor Driving Conditions – Driving at night, in snow, rain and other less than ideal conditions can increase your chances of being involved in a traffic collision.
How to Avoid a Traffic Collision
Even for experienced drivers, intersections are among the most hazardous locations and are the site of many traffic collisions. It may sound simple, but the sooner you size-up an intersection and identify the potential hazards, the more likely you are to avoid a traffic collision. As you enter an intersection, scan the entire block for potential problems. Your scan should help determine which lane to select. Also, check the traffic light. If it is green when you enter the block, anticipate it will change by the time you reach the intersection. Take your foot off the accelerator and cover the brake. Doing so will allow you to stop smoothly should the light change.
Don’t assume that other drivers will be able to stop when they are approaching an intersection. A driver might blow right through. Likewise, if another driver is turning at the intersection, he/she may not be able to make the turn successfully and could veer into you. In light traffic conditions, try to time your approach so you do not reach the intersection at the exact time as another vehicle.
Exercise caution when operating your vehicle at high speeds on a large roadway. Generally, high-speed roadways, when compared to other roadways, have a lower frequency of collisions; however, when a collision does occur, it is often more severe because of the combination of speed and impact.
When you plan to drive in areas that you are not familiar with, be certain to know your exit number ahead of time. Knowing the exit number before your exit will give you plenty of time to position your vehicle properly. If you inadvertently miss your exit, do not back-up. This may cause a collision with other exiting traffic. Instead, wait for traffic to clear. Then go to the next exit to double back.
Practice Scanning Ahead
Stay alert of the potential dangers and scan ahead to avoid rear-end collisions. The driver should steer and focus their attention high, so as to view the road as whole and not just a few feet ahead.
This habit is called “Aim High in Steering,” the first of the Smith System 5 Keys of defensive driving.
Identify, Predict, Decide, and Execute (IPDE): This is the step-by-step process behind the principles of defensive driving and complexities of visual perception in traffic – it could very well save your life and those of your passengers.
Steps of the IPDE process are:
I — Identify — Locate potential hazards within the driving scene
P — Predict — Judge where the possible points of conflict may occur
D — Decide — Determine what action to take, when, and where to take it
E — Execute — Act by maneuvering the car to avoid conflicts
IPDE can help you avoid collisions. Take a moment to think through the IPDE process and how you should use it while driving. In the event of a collision, use extreme caution and seek emergency medical assistance.
For more information on our course offerings or if you have any questions, contact Top Driver.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four major causes of traffic collisions?
The four leading causes are distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding, and poor driving conditions. Distracted driving, especially cell phone use, is one of the most common contributors. Impaired driving covers operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, prescription drugs, cannabis, or any other mind-altering substance. Speeding compounds risk dramatically: for every 10 mph over 50 mph, the risk of death in a collision doubles. Poor conditions like nighttime, rain, and snow round out the list. Notably, the NHTSA's National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey found that more than 97% of all motor vehicle crashes are caused by driver error, which is why we call them collisions rather than accidents.
Why do driver education professionals say 'collision' instead of 'accident'?
Because over 97% of crashes are caused by driver error, they are preventable, not accidental. An accident is an unintentional, unforeseen event, like dropping your phone or bumping into a glass door. When a vehicle runs an intersection and hits another vehicle or a pedestrian, that outcome traces back to a choice the driver made or failed to make. Calling it a collision keeps the focus on driver responsibility and the fact that better scanning, slower speeds, and sharper attention could have prevented it.
What is the IPDE process and how does it help prevent crashes?
IPDE stands for Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute. It is the step-by-step framework behind defensive driving. Identify means spotting potential hazards in the driving scene. Predict means judging where conflicts might happen, like a car drifting toward your lane. Decide means choosing what action to take, when, and where. Execute means physically maneuvering the vehicle to avoid the conflict. Running through IPDE constantly while you drive turns visual perception into decisions fast enough to actually matter.
Why are intersections so dangerous, even for experienced drivers?
Intersections concentrate conflicting traffic flows in a small area, which is why they account for so many collisions even in good visibility. As you approach, scan the entire block to spot hazards and pick the right lane. If the light is green when you enter the block, expect it to change before you arrive: ease off the accelerator and cover the brake so you can stop smoothly. Do not assume cross-traffic will stop on time, and watch turning vehicles that could veer into your path. In light traffic, time your approach so you do not reach the intersection at the same instant as another vehicle.
How does speed change the severity of a crash on a high-speed road?
Higher-speed roads actually see fewer collisions per mile than slower roads, but the collisions that do happen are far more severe because of the combined energy of speed and impact. The 10-mph rule is a useful benchmark: for every 10 mph over 50 mph, your risk of dying in a crash doubles. Speeding also shrinks the window where IPDE works, since you cover more ground before you finish identifying and reacting to a hazard.
What should I do if I miss my highway exit?
Do not back up on the shoulder or the exit ramp. Reversing into exiting traffic is one of the easier ways to cause a serious collision. Instead, keep going, wait for traffic to clear, take the next exit, and double back. Before you set out into unfamiliar areas, look up your exit number ahead of time so you can position your vehicle into the correct lane early.
