No matter how safely you drive or how much attention you give in driving defensively, auto accidents happen. There’s no surefire way to avoid car accidents. If there were, you wouldn’t need insurance (and there would be a lot of unemployed attorneys). But accidents do tend to happen more often in certain places and at certain times. Let’s explor a few accident hot spots and look at how to reduce the risk on your ride.

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Auto Accidents Happen Close To Home

You might think the drowsiness that goes along with a long road trip is more of a threat than driving around your neighborhood – but most car wrecks take place within a mere 25 miles of home. This is due to the fact that most of your driving occurs close to home. The familiarity we feel caused by the repetition of driving through our own neighborhood likely plays a role.

If you’ve ever driven home from work just to realize that your brain was driving on auto-pilot the whole way home, then you know this phenomenon. Driving in local places can cause us to rely more on muscle memory than active driving skills (making us less likely to be hyper-vigilant on the road).

Two of the most important things you can to do be safer around your local area are stay alert and buckle up. Seems like a no-brainer? Right?  But being active about these two seemingly easy things really does make you a more cautious driver.

Auto accidents happen in the comfort zone when you’re approaching your home. Even though you may know the route like the back of your hand, accidents are generally caused by unpredictable circumstances like another driver, an animal in the road, or even car equipment failure. L letting your guard down can decrease your adaptability behind the wheel.

Statistics also suggest that buckling your seat belt even if you’re just driving around the corner, can curb your propensity for an accident. One of the main reason drivers give for skipping on seat belts, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), is that they’re only going a short distance. But buckling up, even close to home, is a habit worth getting into.

The time of day when drivers are most vulnerable

More cars on the road means more risk for drivers. Late afternoon and evening (the hours when most commuters are heading home) rank as the most dangerous time of day for auto accidents happen.  In fact, in 2013, a full 16 percent of fatal accidents happened between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Not all that surprising!

The other most fatal time wasn’t statistically far behind — 31 percent of fatal accidents occurred between 6 p.m. and midnight.

The road less traveled may be more dangerous

Switching up your daily route doesn’t necessarily mean your immune from an accident.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that, in 2013, nearly 3,000 more fatal car accidents happened on rural roads than on busy urban streets. The road less traveled means you have to pay more attention.

Some States Have More Fatal Accidents

Those country roads and wide-open spaces figure prominently into fatal car accident rates per capita: West Virginia, Mississippi, Montana, and North Dakota have the most, according to the Department of Transportation. It’s shouldn’t be surprising that the most populous states are also home to the most traffic deaths. Texas is great for many things (tasty barbeque, rousing rodeos…), but according to the NHTSA, everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes the number of auto pileups… Texas had the most fatal car accidents in 2013 with 3,044. California wasn’t too far behind with 2,772, and Florida came in third with 2,228. When it comes to travel, these states also record the largest number of tourists driving through – which means drivers in unfamiliar territory.

When you’ve had an accident in Oklahoma, it only makes sense to call Oklahoma’s auto injury specialist: The Brooks Clinic. Our doctors are available for walk in appointments to make sure you are seen quickly and responsively. Auto injury? The Brooks Clinic!