The Top 5 Most Common Accidents In Oklahoma And How To Avoid Them

Nobody is prepared for a car accident. Seeing a car zoom up from behind you when you’re stopped at a traffic light with nowhere to go as you repeat, “Slow down, slow down, SLOW DOWN!” like a mantra is frightening. You brace yourself for impact, but it’s not enough. Feeling that car collide into the back of yours sends you spinning. Though the accident is their fault, it’s your car that’s in ruins. From just one look, you know that the financial damages are much more than what the car is worth. And with your adrenaline running, you have no idea how you’re going to wake up feeling tomorrow. What are you going to do?

CoverHound works hard to secure motorists like yourself with an affordable car insurance package that will protect you in such a situation. In past articles we’ve highlighted Texas, Georgia and California—now it’s Oklahoma’s turn. If you’re looking for Oklahoma car insurance, we can help.

Practice Safe Driving

In 2014, close to 153,000 motorists were involved in a traffic collision in Oklahoma. Over 3,000 of those involved suffered debilitating injuries, with close to 700 having lost their lives. What are the causes of these traffic accidents? Is it vehicle malfunction or human error?

Unfortunately, all signs point to drivers. No one deserves to get hurt or lose their life in a vehicle accident. People make mistakes, but the costs can be steep. Below are Oklahoma’s five most common accidents. Recognizing the cause of these accidents can help lessen their frequency.

Distracted Driving:
Distracted driving reigns supreme as the most common cause of vehicle accidents not just in Oklahoma, but across the United States. Everything from texting, eating, singing with the radio and talking to passengers on the phone has contributed to a fatal car accident. To stop this from happening, all you have to do is put the phone away and ask your passengers to speak quietly and entertain themselves.

Tailgating:
It can be incredibly frustrating when the driver ahead of you is going 20 under the speed limit. In an effort to get them to speed up or pull over to let you pass, you drive very closely to the bumper of their car. Road rules stipulate that you must leave at least a car’s length between you and the driver ahead of you. It’s suggested that you have at least a 3-second travel buffer with the car ahead of you. To determine if you are driving a safe distance away, start a count of 3 after the car ahead has passed a road sign or exit. If you reach that same area before you have said 3, you are following too closely and need to ease back.

Speeding:
Speed limits are posted for a reason. Speed limits are established to keep your driving rates consistent with traffic and to keep you from flying into a blind corner and other hazards. If a curve says you need to slow down to 25 MPH, that’s what you need to do.

Driver Fatigue:
Concentrating for long periods of time can really drain your energy. It’s been estimated that you can drive between 12-14 hours a day, but only if you’re well-rested. If you have worked all day or have had your attention on another activity, you should not drive more than three or four hours, with driving at night out of the question.

Unsafe Lane Changes:
You check your rearview mirrors and there’s not a car in sight. Without using your blinker, you start moving your car over to the other lane and hear a blaring horn. You almost hit another driver. Before making a lane change, you must check all mirrors and look over your shoulder to compensate for your vehicle’s blind spot. And don’t forget to use your blinker so that other drivers know you want to move over.

It’s not that hard to practice good driving. If you weren’t any good at it, you wouldn’t have earned your driver’s license! For car insurance and other driving tips, visit CoverHound.