In July 2020, the Road Trauma Australia Statistical Survey was posted on the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) website. According to the data, the number of crash deaths in Australia in 2019 was about 1195. By the end of October 2020, about 1118 deaths were recorded related to car accidents, including 559 drivers, 185 motorcyclists, 138 pedestrians, and 46 pedal cyclists. Most of these crashes are because of the most common causes of Accidents in Perth.
In Western Australia alone, the recorded number of road accident deaths is currently 145. Facing an accident on the road is the worst nightmare for a driver. Doing a defensive driving course Perth will keep you safe and help you prevent any harm to the lives of the pedestrians. Also, before you put your hands on your new car’s steering, it is important to know all the common reasons for car accidents in Perth.
Let us learn about the most common causes of accidents in Perth –
Accidents caused due to speeding
Most fatal road accidents in Australia are caused due to speeding. It will be considered speeding whenever you attempt to beat a red signal, try to go ahead while merging on the freeway or intend to overtake a vehicle driving ahead of you.
Driving over the standard speed limit gives rise to certain dangers you may face as a driver.
- You easily lose control of your car.
- Your capacity to brake safely behind another vehicle gets reduced.
- The distance you require to stop your vehicle safely is increased.
- While encountering sudden road changes, you have to make some adjustments, so you need a specific reaction time. This reaction time gets reduced significantly due to speeding.
- You expose your passengers and yourself to potential road accident risks and receive severe injuries and damage.
Road accidents caused by fatigue and drowsiness
Whenever you go to a driving school Perth, your instructor will repeatedly tell you not to attempt to drive your car when you are tired. Driving in an exhausted condition will be similar to drunk driving, and your reaction time of responding to traffic signs and road hazards will greatly decrease.
If you have not slept for more than 20 hours and drive, your state of mind will be like someone having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08%, and it will automatically increase your chances of getting involved in a car crash.
Drivers who frequently miss night sleep often go through microsleep episodes while driving. These episodes may last for only 4 to 5 seconds but can be enough to make you inattentive to driving, and if you experience them on highways, consequences can be severe.
Accidents caused by distraction
Distraction is another major cause of many car accidents, and one of the most common distractions is mobile phones. If you continuously talk, send text messages, or look at your mobile phone, your attention can easily shift from the road and the surroundings. In these situations, you will likely ignore traffic signs, which will lead to collisions with any pedestrian, object, or other cars. According to the National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP), a minimum of 20% of car crash fatalities are due to distracted drivers.
Other causes of getting distracted include conversing with a passenger in the back seat, eating, arguing, or minding pets or kids in the back seat.
Effects of drunk driving
Another most common cause of a large number of road accidents that occur regularly on Australian roads is driving under alcohol influence.
Alcohol causes adverse effects on movement controlling ability of the driver, impacts their reflexes, and leads to improper eye coordination. All of these conditions make a driver create miscalculations and drive recklessly. Thus, a drunk driver proves to be a great threat to their passengers and pedestrians, other vehicle drivers, and property.
In Western Australia, the standard BAC (blood alcohol concentration) limit while driving is 0.05%. But, some drivers like those who are new or probationary or transport hazardous goods must have a 0.00% BAC limit. This limit also applied to alcohol offenders.
Accidents caused because of vehicle defects
Sometimes, major vehicle defects also lead to fatal road accidents. The most common risky issues for drivers and other road users include faulty brakes, wheel alignment problems, or a defective ignition switch.
While going through your driving lessons, the instructor will always advise how to take care of your car to ensure a safe ride. For the best recommendations, top-quality driving lessons are the obvious requirement, and you may carry out your search by typing’ driving lessons near me.’
Failing to give way on Perth roads
According to the yearly AAMI Crash Index, the Great Eastern Highway in Midland is Perth’s most notorious car accident site. Here, 37% of car crashes occur because drivers fail to give way.
Failing to give way is a significant traffic offence that occurs when drivers are unable to comply with common road rules:
- At intersections when no stop signs are displayed, or traffic lights stop working
- When pedestrians rush to cross the roads, even when yellow traffic lights are on
- When a give way sign is displayed
- At the time of changing lanes
When you go to any Perth driving school or listen to an experienced driver, you will find them saying the importance of being patient while driving. A little patience can be enough to give way to other vehicles, which will, in turn, keep everyone safe.
If you want to find an experienced driving instructor, search for them by typing ‘driving instructors near me‘ on your Google search bar.
How Can You Get Started?
Completing a well-designed defensive driving program is the best way to start your journey to become an efficient driver. These programs teach traffic regulations, proper driving techniques, and things one should do during a car accident or emergency. You will learn how to stay away with your driving from the common causes of road accidents in Perth. Several top-ranked driving learning centres in Perth employ qualified and experienced driving instructors.
In Australia, female driving instructors have become more popular among learner drivers because of their natural calm and patient nature and great expertise in multi-tasking. So, if your preference is learning driving from one of them, type ‘driving school near me‘ on the Google search bar and explore top search results.
