You might see some different accident types if you drive. The longer you’re out on the road, the more likely you’ll see a few accidents. Hopefully, you can avoid them and stay safe in your vehicle.
You might see a head-to-head collision. That’s one of the most dangerous types, for obvious reasons.
You may see a sideswipe accident if someone changes lanes without signaling. You might see a T-bone collision if someone tries making it through a yellow light and it changes to red.
In this article, though, we’ll discuss another accident type, the rear-end collision. We’ll talk about some causes and how you can avoid this relatively common occurrence.
Rear-End Collisions
First, let’s make sure you understand what we mean when we use this term. A rear-end collision usually occurs when a car hits another vehicle from behind. You might also hear some people use the term fender bender when they discuss this accident type.
Young drivers cause the majority of rear-end collisions. If you’re young or inexperienced, you might not have the skills while backing up that more experienced drivers have. That experience comes with time.
Now, let’s look at some of the most common rear-end collision causes.
Backing Out of Parking Spaces
You might cause a rear-end collision if you’re backing out of a parking space. If this happens, maybe you’re in a mall parking lot. Perhaps you’re in a movie theater or a restaurant parking lot. Gas station parking lots see plenty of these accidents as well.
Since these accidents happen so often, car companies developed the rear backup camera. At first, only certain car models had them. The government thought they had real value, though, so now, every new car that comes out must have one.
Rear backup cameras emit an audible noise when you back up. You can hear that noise outside the car with some models or only inside the vehicle with others.
Rear backup cameras can go a long way toward preventing these accidents. Whether your car has a rear backup camera or not, though, you should check behind you before backing up, and you should back up slowly and carefully.
Many times, if you cause an accident when backing up, it’s because you go too fast. You might also let something distract you while executing this somewhat delicate maneuver.
You might let a family member in the car distract you. Perhaps your phone rings, or someone sends you a text message.
No matter what, always back up slowly and cautiously. If a vehicle or person passes behind you while you’re executing this maneuver, stop until they’re out of the way.
Your Taillights Might Not Function Properly
You might also cause a rear-end collision if you stop your car while driving, but your taillights don’t function like they should. You probably know that you need certain car safety features, like your turn signal or your windshield wipers. Most people don’t think about their taillights, even though they’re necessary and crucial when you’re on the road.
If you have one or both taillights out, and you stop while on the road in heavy traffic, you can’t show the driver behind you that you’re braking. If they don’t see those warning lights come on, they may hit your vehicle from behind.
If that happens, the police might ticket you if the other driver can prove they didn’t see your taillights. If that happens, then hopefully, the other driver does not injure themselves, and they don’t hurt you very badly either.
Many times, whiplash happens from these accidents. A car striking you from behind can whip your head and neck backward and forward, and you might need ice and a neck brace for some time after that. You may miss work for a while in more extreme cases.
Driver Distractions
Driver distractions might cause the most rear-end collisions when you’re on the road. We mentioned smartphones earlier. Nearly everyone carries one with them these days. They can help you if you’re in a car accident and you must call 911. They can also distract you if someone calls or sends a text, though.
Other passengers in the car might distract you. A billboard or changing the radio station might do it as well. You might get some food or a drink at a drive-through that distracts you.
Whatever does it, if you don’t watch the road ahead, you can easily hit a car that stops in front of you suddenly. If you take your eyes away from the road, even for a second or two, that might cause an accident.
Then, you must contact your insurance company, and your premium will most likely go up. That’s a hassle, so don’t let anything distract you while you’re operating a motor vehicle.
Not Noticing Changing Traffic Conditions
You might also hit a car ahead of you if traffic conditions change suddenly. Often, speed plays a part when these accidents occur.
Let’s say you’re driving over the speed limit. Perhaps you’re going 70 in a 55-mile-per-hour zone on the highway.
There’s some construction happening, and the cars ahead of you start slowing. You’re driving over the speed limit, though, and you’re also listening to music or daydreaming. Those conditions mean you might not stop in time if the cars up ahead suddenly slow or stop.
To avoid these situations, you should not daydream when you are behind the wheel, and you should also obey the speed limit. If you drive slower and you stay alert, you can likely stop in time if the traffic conditions on the road ahead suddenly change.
Fender benders sometimes don’t cause very much damage if you almost stop in time and just tap the car’s bumper ahead. You can sometimes hit a car very hard from behind, though, and that can propel it forward, where other vehicles might hit it. That’s why you must take these incidents seriously and avoid them whenever possible.
