Although the statistics vary somewhat depending on the source, there is no question that we are most likely to get into a car insurance accident near our homes. About half of all accidents occur within five miles of home, while three-quarters of all auto accidents happen within fifteen miles. For many of us, this doesn’t make sense. What could be safer than driving in your own neighborhood where you know everything like the back of your hand? Surely it’s more dangerous driving in an unfamiliar city or on an interstate thousands of miles from home.
Better Driver Away From Home
It is true that driving in unfamiliar and faraway places are more anxiety provoking than local driving. But it’s precisely because such situations put you on edge that you will pay more attention to the road and to your driving. When you’re on your toes like this, you are more likely to spot potential dangers and react more quickly to traffic incidents.
Drive Like An Athlete
Athletes who maintain their “edge” win more competitions than those who don’t. Likewise, driving is a performance activity that demands focus, good judgment, foresight, and fast reactions if you want to stay accident free over the long-term. You won’t maintain your performance edge if you’re super relaxed, eating food, or daydreaming when you drive.
Why Most Car Accidents Happen Near Our Home
This is one reason most accidents happen near our homes. The familiarity of our neighborhood causes us to let our guard down and drive on autopilot. That is, we allow our eye-hand (and foot) reflexes to do all the driving for us, while we talk on the phone or reminisce. We don’t even have to worry about getting lost because we’ve driven to many local destinations hundreds of times.
By now it should be clear that a car accident will most likely happen when someone treats their driving like watching television. In addition, consider that most of our driving is local. That means we drive mostly on autopilot. When an emergency happens, such as when a car runs a stop sign in front of us or an animal runs in front of our car, we aren’t mentally prepared because our minds, and sometimes eyes, are elsewhere.
To avoid accidents and higher than average car insurance rates, focus 100% on your driving 100% of the time. Never let your guard down because you really can’t afford to. For more information on safe driving and auto insurance, please contact us.
Robert Macoviak is the President of Oyer, Macoviak and Associates. Oyer, Macoviak and Associates is the oldest independent insurance agency in Boynton Beach and has been in business since 1953. Oyer, Macoviak and Associates are vested members of the community who are committed to doing business face-to-face and being your insurance advocate in times of need.
