Motorway Accidents

Statistics suggest that motorways are some of the safest roads in the UK. This may be true to an extent but the main different between the motorway and a normal road is speed. The speed however at which people drive on the motorway isn’t the direct cause of accidents, it’s the way people drive that is.

The best way to cope with motorway driving is through experience however this idea isn’t exactly being carried out as anyone who has passed their practical driving test can get in a car and drive straight onto a motorway.

Driver error accounts for 90% of the accidents that happen on motorways with the other 10% being made up by mechanical failure. Driver error can come in many forms such as careless lane changing; this makes up about 25% of all motorway accidents. Also driving to close to the car in front of you is another reason why motorway accidents occur and is generally the main reason behind car pile ups.

Leaving enough space between you and the car in front is crucial in order to stop in time if you need to sharply apply the brakes; driving to close to someone would make this impossible to do even if you applied the brakes within a second of realising you need to.

Stopping in an emergency on the motorway is made even more difficult if you are driving in bad weather conditions. Heavy rain water will not drain off a motorway as quickly as it would off a normal road; this creates standing water on the road, increasing stopping time and reducing the tyres grip of the road surface. Rain isn’t the only weather element that can make motorway driving become more difficult, fog remains one of the biggest killers within motorway driving. Fog seriously reduces visibility and increases your risk of becoming involved in a motorway accident.

As well as weather elements, one of the biggest causes of accidents on motorways is driver distraction, mainly due to tiredness. Every time we drive down the motorway we are constantly reminded about the danger of driving whilst tired. ‘Tiredness kills’ is signposted down most motorways but yet many of us just think it will never happen to me. There are many reasons behind feeling tired but whatever the reason tiredness affects all drivers who are on the motorway for a long period of time, even if you have had the best nights sleep. Driving on the same stretch of road in a straight line can make our concentration lapse, increasing our risk of an accident. When driving down the motorway it is important to take note of when your concentration starts to dip and when tiredness sets in, you should open the window until the next service station and then pull off and have a break.

Tiredness isn’t the only concentration killer when it comes to motorway driving. Cars are becoming more and more sophisticated; mobile phones hands free, global positioning, CD players, route finders and in car entertainment can unfortunately steal our attention away from the road.

If you find yourself becoming involved in a motorway accident due to someone else’s negligence or careless driving then you could be entitled to personal injury compensation. Accident Consultant are experts in no win no fee claims and have helped many people just like you gain the compensation that they deserve after an accident whilst driving on the motorway. If you would like more information about accidents on the motorway then visit our main site, Accident Consultant for more information on Car Accident Facts or if you would like to put in a claim for compensation after an accident on the motorway then fill in our online form or call us today on 08081 68 69 70.