Traffic accidents are a major public safety issue in the United States as well as globally. Though traffic fatalities have come down in recent years, the number of severe crashes is still high. Fatal accidents or serious accidents are caused by human error, such as speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence, most of the time. Nonhuman factors responsible are weather, road conditions, mechanical issues, inexperienced drivers, and failure to use safety equipment.
Preventing fatalities on the road has been a priority globally. Additionally, road accident costs include compensation, rehabilitation, medical and insurance fees, production losses, property damage, and settlement costs. Analyzing severe collisions provides researchers and traffic safety agencies with tools to frame policies and strategies to tackle elements that elevate the risk and prevent them.
Referral to in-car accidents often springs collisions of two vehicles to mind. Accidents are a result of many contributory factors, including human behavior playing a critical role.
Human Factors
1. Speeding: Speeding has been the leading factor in fatal crashes. High speed reduces reaction time, decreases stopping distance, and magnifies severity, resulting in a high toll.
2. Impairment: Alcohol is also a contributory factor. Impairment due to drugs, including prescription drugs or cannabis, coupled with driver fatigue, can affect cognitive and motor skills, resulting in lane departure, slow braking, or inability to detect dangers.
3. Distracted driving: Mobile phones, navigation systems, eating, or adjusting controls are causes of distraction while driving. Losing focus even for a few seconds can have catastrophic consequences on the highway.
Environmental and Roadway Conditions
1. Road Design, Geometry, and Maintenance: Design flaws such as curves, bad signage, narrow shoulders, missing guardrails, or worn-out pavement increase accident risks. Roadway departure crashes, or run-off-road crashes, often involving multiple vehicles, are especially dangerous.
2. Weather, Visibility, and Lighting: Extreme weather conditions such as rain, fog, snow, or glare can reduce traction, affect visibility, and increase the chances of loss of control and accidents. Compounding these factors are night or low-light conditions, inadequate lighting, or reflective lane markings, further increasing accident risks.
3. Debris and Obstacles: Obstructions or debris on the road, such as loose cargo, fallen tree branches, tire fragments, or construction debris, can cause swerving or losing control.
System Failure
1. Vehicle Crashworthiness and Restraint Systems: Safety features such as airbags, crumple zones, seat belts, and electronic stability control are critical to safety and preventing severe injury. System failure or improper installation increases the occupant’s vulnerability to fatality or severe trauma.
2. Mechanical Failure or Maintenance Issues: Mechanical failures, such as brake failure, tire blowouts, steering or suspension defects, or lighting failure, can cause serious accidents, especially when speeding or in heavy traffic.
3. Emerging Automation and Driver Assist Systems: Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking, or blind-spot warnings help reduce crash risk; on the contrary, improper installation, malfunctioning sensors, or overreliance also contribute to accidents.
Serious crashes are most often the result of multiple factors. Modern analytical models, such as machine learning approaches, are being used to predict accident risks and study contributory factors such as traffic, environmental, and vehicle factors. A study has found that factors such as visibility, weather conditions, and road attributes are key factors in serious traffic accidents.
Understanding Risk as a Factor in Mitigating Road Fatalities: Increased public awareness can help in reducing road traffic accidents. Understanding contributory factors such as human, environmental, and vehicle factors, can help in formulating safer designs, framing rules, enforcing laws, roadways design, and modifying driver behavior. Multiple stakeholders, such as transportation agencies, the community, and businesses, have a say in road safety and laws. Their influence on the outcome is an important factor.
Conclusion
Understanding that traffic accidents are a result of a complex interplay of human error, environmental conditions, mechanical failure, and road infrastructure is important. Speeding, driving under the influence, distraction, bad road design, bad weather, poor maintenance, and technology all have a role. Analyzing crash data, executing smart designs, and better law enforcement and driver education will help in reducing the frequency and severity of vehicular accidents.
