Road Accidents

It is a widely known fact that both the roads and vehicles are products of human design. As far as the latter is human-operated, they are prone to mishaps and undesired incidents that inflict losses to people and the eco-system as well. Accidents result from a variety of factors, and thus there is a need for thorough research aimed at identifying the causes to facilitate prevention measures.

Road accidents happen in many forms. There are three main types of crashes, which include head-on, rear-end, and side collisions. Vehicles may collide while in motion or when one of them is stationary. A car may also hit a pedestrian, an animal, barriers, debris, roadside trees, trains at junctions, and bridge rail guards among others. The results of these mishaps are losses of lives, damage to property or human injuries. In cases of fire or spillage of chemicals and petroleum products, the accident may also affect the eco-system. Accidents result from a variety of factors that includes human error, mechanical failure, and weather conditions among others. However, the human error is one of the most serious causes, and thus drivers need proper training and periodic tests to keep them cautious on the roads.

The human error results in accidents in many ways. For instance, when overtaking on a two-way road, drivers make wrong judgments regarding the possibility of successfully driving past the vehicle in front without hitting the oncoming one on the other lane. Such thoughtlessness leads to head-on collisions. On dual carriageways, reckless change of lanes without looking at the car driving behind leads to head to back or side to side crashes. The other error involves the braking distance, which entails poor judgment regarding the possibility of successfully reducing speed or coming to a halt without hitting the vehicle driving in front. The braking error also occurs when negotiating road obstructions such as bumps or corners, which can result in veering off the way, thus the car may hit a traffic barrier or roll off the way. The other error involves engaging wrong gears especially in heavy commercial vehicles while ascending steep slopes, which may lead to backward rolling due to the inability to drive up the hill. Last but not least error is over-steering when negotiating corners at high speeds causing veering off the road.

Accidents also result from mechanical problems such as brake failure that makes it impossible to reduce speed or to halt the vehicle, and this malfunction may entail collisions or veering off the road. The steering system may also fail, thus making it hard or impossible for the driver to direct the car. The other mechanical problem includes ceasing of the engine hence making the vehicle suddenly stall on the road. A wheel may also disintegrate from the car and in case of high speed it leads to collisions or rolling.

Weather also plays a role in causing accidents, which may happen due to poor visibility resulting from dust during the dry season or mist and fog in winter. The poor visibility is dangerous as it makes the driver collide with other motorists or veer of the road. Rainy seasons make tarmac wet, thus reducing traction of cars and making the drivers lose control of their vehicles. Floods also lead to accidents because when water fills the road surface, drivers are unable to spot the road edges. Moreover, floods damage streets through the creation of deep gullies and earth slide cliffs, depositing debris on the roads, which compromises driving safety.

In conclusion, the most serious cause of car crashes is the human error because it is the largest contributor to the mishaps especially through speeding and reckless driving. Pedestrians also fail to cross the road at the designated points and thus promoting the possibility of the hit and run accidents. In order to avoid accidents, people may keep from driving during unfavorable weather conditions. It is also possible to prevent mechanical problems by regularly servicing vehicles to avoid development of defects. The challenge, however, remains in promoting a culture of safety and awareness on the roads, as far as most of the accidents occur due to ignorance, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, driving while feeling sleepy, and also making poor judgments while driving.