Common Causes of Car Accidents in VA

Although many drivers in Virginia may argue this point, evidence continuously points to drivers of this great state being some of the worst in the country. Our experience in roadside recovery in Shenandoah County shows us just how many incidents occur on a given day.

A recent survey by insurance company QuoteWizard in October 2020 placed Virginia as the 2nd worst drivers in the country. This was based on two million insurance quotes for driving incident factors including accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs and other citations like texting and driving.

So how do we fix this? Instead of proposing stricter laws and higher fines as many politician-types may consider, we here at Shenandoah Towing believe in the power of the community. By looking at common traffic accidents and their causes, we can help one another to behave better on the road and make our great state safe again.

Here are the causes of common car accidents in VA and how we can avoid them:

(All statistics given here were based on the Virginian Department of Motor Vehicle report from 2019 which can be seen here.)

Speeding

According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), there were 24,739 speed-related crashes in 2019 which made up about 19.3% of all crashes. This resulted in 13,289 injuries and 349 fatalities; a level of devastation that no speeding-driver could justify.

Why People Speed

The causes of speeding have been studied, and it’s been found that drivers can be split into three categories: compliant drivers, moderate speeders, and excessive speeders. The biggest sign that someone may fit into one of these categories is their personality. Speeders are often people who have thrill-seeking or aggressive tendencies, or those with chaotic lives that struggle to keep up with their routine.

How to Stop People from Speeding

To combat this habit of speeding, it may be best to make clear the personality traits that a person shows, and relate it to their habit of going over the limit. Thrill-seeking individuals can find safer outlets for their desire for excitement with such things as extreme sports or even go-karting.

Those with aggressive tendencies may benefit from an anger management course, or an introduction to a spiritual practice like meditation or yoga. Whereas those with chaotic lives may simply need some help making sense of their daily routine.

Distracted Driving

Virginians driving distracted caused 23,246 crashes in 2019, which made up around 18.1% of crashes that year. This resulted in 13,258 injuries and 120 deaths; which reflects the very serious nature of becoming distracted while driving.

What Distracts Us

The most commonly thought-of distraction is of course our cellphones. Although the DMV listed “eyes not on road” and “looking at roadside incidents” as more common distractions for 2019.

Driving requires an immense amount of focus, even at its most boring moments, as anything can happen and one should be prepared to react appropriately.

Combatting Distraction

The main reason we become distracted is usually our human nature which wants to make sense of the world around us. By considering the things that may distract us, we can train our minds to focus on the task at hand.

These are some common distractions and how to avoid them:

• Cell Phones – putting your phone on silent while you drive can keep you from checking it every time it rings or beeps. Otherwise safely pull over to check your messages or take that oh-so-important call.
• GPS – as helpful as they are, they can draw our attention from the road, so make sure your GPS is mounted where you can easily see it.
• Applying makeup or grooming of any kind – adjust your sleeping patterns to ensure you have ample time to do this before you drive.
• Adjusting music or other controls – ask your passenger to do this for you, otherwise safely pull over and do it yourself.
• Handling children or pets – make sure you secure them appropriately before driving anywhere.
• Talking to passengers – as natural as it may feel, there are times when it can cause an accident, so communicate clearly to your passengers that you need to focus.
• Not looking at the road – as stated it’s within our nature to be curious, when this happens remind yourself where you are and what you’re doing.

Other Major Causes

Obviously, alcohol and other intoxicating substances play a big role in many traffic accidents these days and the need for roadside recovery. By planning a sober-driver or calling a taxi you can not only save your own life but also the lives of others on the road.

Roadside Recovery Shenandoah County

Sometimes accidents happen for reasons beyond our control, and as scary as they may seem, it’s important to try and be level-headed when these inevitable situations arise. Depending on the nature and severity of the accident, emergency services may need to be called to save a life or apprehend a criminal.

In the event that you have been in an accident and need to move your vehicle, you’ll need to call a towing company.

Here at Shenandoah Towing, we provide towing services, roadside repairs, and of course roadside recovery in Shenandoah County. For our towing service, Woodstock VA is our headquarters. We also service Shenandoah County, Warren County, Frederick County, and Page County as well as both Interstate 66 and Interstate 81.

Write down our name and number on paper and put it in your glove box just in case!