How To Avoid Rear-End Collisions: The Most Common Accident In Nigeria

In driver’s SCHOOL, or when someone is teaching you to drive, you learn a lot of things, such as how to parallel park, where to put your hands on the wheel, and the regulations of the road. Less time and less effort are typically spent in driver education courses teaching you how to particularly prevent collisions like rear-end collisions. You pick up on this over time by developing your driving skills and becoming accustomed to regional driving habits.

But you might not be as ready as you believe to escape a rear-end collision, around 29% of all accidents of this sort happen in Nigeria; nearly half of all two-vehicle incidents involve a rear-end collision. If you ask anybody what accident happened to their car the most, they will say that someone hit them from the back or side. 

What Causes Rear-End Collision Accidents?

• Distraction

Vehicle collisions are frequently caused by distracted driving. A typical distraction is using a phone. You look away from the road and take your hands off the wheel to check a text, select a new playlist, or play a game. Yet, using a phone while driving is by no means the only distraction. Daydreaming, concentrating on anything outside the car, reaching inside for something, or conversing with your passengers can all cause rear-end collisions. Distractions of any kind—visual, cognitive, and manual—increase your chance of colliding with the car in front of you.

• Too Near a Passage (tailgating)

We have spoken about this almost a thousand times. This might be one of the more evident dangers of hitting another automobile from behind. It is more challenging to stop quickly and avoid a collision when you are too near another car. The driver in the back may not notice when the car in front of them begins to slam on the brakes or stops abruptly. Even if you do see it and brake right away, you might not have enough room or time to stop without hitting the other car.

• Speeding

The consequences of speeding and tailgating are identical. Your car won’t stop as quickly if you are speeding. Suddenly slamming on the brakes if you don’t see the car in front of you slowing down or stopping.

• Weather

The weather is not to blame for all rear-end collisions, but rain and fog can all contribute to an increased risk of crashes. When driving in poor weather conditions, you need to adjust your driving style. You should slow down and leave a greater distance between you and other vehicles. If you fail to adjust for the weather and road conditions, you may not be able to stop in time to avoid a rear-end crash. But Nigerians love speeding, and they can splash water on pedestrians, so they should be careful not to hurt themselves or others in the process. 

• Fatigue

An overlooked issue is driving while overly tired. Driving while drowsy can increase the risk of getting into a crash, similar to driving while intoxicated. You are less perceptive, and your reaction time slows down. All of these factors increase your risk of failing to slow down or stop when the vehicle ahead of you does so. 

How to Keep from Rear-Ending Another Car 

• Adhering to safe driving procedures is the best approach to preventing a rear-end collision.
• Maintain a safe distance from other cars.
• Follow the speed limit and put away your phone.
• You can react quickly and effectively when cars slow down or stop if you pay close attention to the traffic in front of you.
• When driving through bad weather, increase the distance between you and other vehicles, reduce your speed, and become even more vigilant about avoiding all distractions.

 How To Avoid Rear-End Collisions 

• As a driver, there’s less you can do to avoid being rear-ended. However, there are some steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of being hit from behind. If you notice someone tailgating you, move to the other lane. If you can’t change lanes and the other driver insists on riding your bumper, consider taking a detour around the block to let that driver get ahead of you. Taking a few minutes out of your day is far less of an inconvenience than being rear-ended. 
•  Avoid slamming on your brakes unless it is an emergency. Brake early and slowly to ensure drivers behind you have plenty of warning that you plan to stop.

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No matter what you do as a driver, you may still get into a car accident. But following safe driving habits and being aware of risky situations may help to avoid rear-end accidents.