Did you know that there are over 14 million cars in Australia? And with such great distances between cities, states and territories, it’s easy to understand why travelling by car is the most popular mode of transport.
Statistics show that collectively, Australians can be expected to drive over 180 billion Km each year. And with such a huge amount of distance to cover, it’s never been more important to take out a car insurance policy. Finding the cheapest car insurance policy is easy when you go online. So make sure you shop around before you take out a policy. What is third party car insurance? Click the link to find out. Having a good car insurance policy means that in the event of a crash, any damage to your car and damage caused to other vehicles is covered.
It’s reported that thousands of car accidents happen on Australian roads every year, but what causes this huge amount of road accidents? Read on to find out.
Speeding
Wide-open roads, long distances to travel, it’s easy to add a little extra pressure to your accelerator when you’re driving in Australia. However, speeding doesn’t always mean driving at ridiculously dangerous speeds, often exceeding the speed limit by just a few kmph puts you, other drivers and pedestrians at risk of being in an accident. Increasing your stopping distance by just a few metres can mean the difference between making a claim on your insurance or adding to your no claims bonus!
When/where you should reduce speed:
- In built-up areas and around areas with livestock
- At night (low visibility)
- Be mindful when there are bends and upcoming corners
- Be conscious of the weather conditions
- Wherever you are and whatever the time, always stay within the speed limits
Distracted driving
Distracted driving covers a large area of possibilities and circumstances. However, it’s safe to say that distracted driving is a leading cause of road accidents and car insurance claims. Whether you’re changing the radio station, using your smartphone, or talking to your passengers, you’re more likely to find yourself caught up in a crash. Often happens when you are running late for a flight on the way to the airport. One way to avoid this could be to use larnaca airport transfer
Avoid distracted driving by:
- Not using your phone behind the wheel
- Asking passengers to be quiet whilst you’re driving
- Not eating or drinking whilst driving
- Avoid having pets free in your vehicle
- Pulling over if you need to adjust volume/music/GPS
Fatigue
We all lead busy lives, which can leave us feeling tired and groggy behind the wheel. Driving whilst tired contributes to many accidents behind the wheel. Driving whilst fatigued means your reaction time is seriously impaired, your ability to make good driving decisions and of course falling asleep and crashing into barriers and other drivers.
Avoid fatigue by:
- Getting enough sleep!
- Stop every hour for fresh air/stretch your legs if driving for 2 hours or more
- Pull over if you’re feeling sleepy, or you can’t recall what happened in the last 10 minutes
And finally, drunk driving
Drunk driving will not only impair your ability to drive competently but doing so will also invalidate your car insurance. No one should get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.