There’s more to being a safe, responsible driver than meets the eye. Along with obeying traffic laws and having insurance coverage in place, there are other, less obvious circumstances that can affect your likelihood of being involved in an accident. The guide below explains some of them so you can be on your guard.

What Affects Your Driving in Unexpected Ways?

How You Feel Emotionally

Being emotionally agitated can directly impact your accident risk. For example, drivers who are visibly affected by strong emotion, such as anger or sadness, have a ten times greater chance of being involved in a crash. Driving while angry or sad is just another example of distracted driving, which also includes texting, eating, adjusting the stereo, or talking with passengers. 

The Color of Your Vehicle

When comparing black and white vehicles, owners of white cars are 12% less likely to be involved in an accident. Grey and silver cars are also associated with a higher accident risk, coming in at 11% and 10% respectively. It could be that risk takers are more likely to choose colors like silver and black, or that white cars are simply more visible on the road. Despite pervasive myths, car color does not influence insurance cost, however. 

How Familiar You Are With the Route

You’d think being familiar with a route would decrease your chance of problems since you know the roads so well. However, research shows that route familiarity actually increases your accident risk. During the course of the study, drivers familiar with a route were found to be more often involved in rear-end collisions, which could point to inattention. It’s also posited that familiar routes could lead to a greater degree of driver distraction. 

Accidents are sometimes inevitable no matter what you do, which is where reliable insurance comes in. That’s why drivers in Omaha, NE, rely on Accredited Insurance Group when in search of affordable and effective coverage. Their auto insurance policies cover both bodily injury and property damage. Additionally, they help those considered high-risk drivers make sense of SR22 filings so they can rebuild their driving record. Call (402) 334-1780 today to get started on a quote with an agent. You can also visit them online to learn more about obtaining auto coverage.