Millions of auto accidents occur in the U.S. every year. Not only do they pose a threat to your health, but they can also significantly damage your vehicle. Keep in mind the following reasons for these incidents to keep yourself safe and avoid a rise in your auto insurance rates.

What Are Some Common Causes of Auto Accidents?

1. Distracted Driving

Research shows that 27% of auto accidents are caused by cellphone use. Contrary to popular belief, humans aren’t fully capable of multi-tasking. Instead, when you’re doing two activities at once, your brain performs micro-tasking: it switches rapidly between tasks.

As a result, you’ll miss vital information relating to both tasks because your brain can't process all the details at once. When it comes to driving, this could mean not perceiving a road hazard in time to respond safely.

2. Fatigued Driving

A fatigued driver may experience a worsened attention span, awareness of hazards, and reaction time. In fact, if you’re driving after going over 20 hours without sleep, it’s like driving with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08%.

Since signs of fatigue are sometimes hard to identify, this is a threat that can be difficult to avoid on the road. Keep in mind how much sleep you’ve gotten in the past few days and make decisions accordingly.

3. Hazardous Roads & Weather

Over time, poor weather can take a toll on roads and create conditions for auto accidents. For example, if a road isn’t properly cared for, a driver might experience difficulty maintaining traction or swerve into another vehicle while trying to avoid damage.

Roads can also become slippery with snow or rain, making for treacherous driving conditions. You should avoid driving in these situations, but sometimes you need to get somewhere urgently. If you must drive in bad weather, reduce your speed and increase your following distance. 

Protect yourself from the financial costs of car accidents with auto insurance from Kleppinger Insurance, LLC, in Bethlehem, PA. Their experienced agents will work with you to find the policy to fit your personal needs. In addition to auto insurance, they offer home and life insurance to customers throughout the Tri-State area. They offer policies from some of the nation’s top carriers, such as Nationwide® and Progressive®. Call (484) 357-1485 to speak with a knowledgeable agent today. Learn more about their auto insurance options online.