Have you ever found yourself driving far from home, on unfamiliar roads, and felt like your accident odds had increased? Maybe you got confused about which roads were one-way streets. Maybe you just felt like you had to spend so much mental energy figuring out where you were going that you had little left to pay attention to the traffic around you.
This is a fairly common feeling, especially for those who do not drive often. However, it is misleading. Your accident risks are not highest on these unfamiliar roads. Most crashes happen on roads you take all the time, close to the neighborhood where you live. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), most people get in car crashes no more than 25 miles from their own front doors.
Why does this happen? One possible reason is complacency. When you’re driving on roads that you use all the time, it’s easier to feel so relaxed and secure that you don’t pay enough attention to safety.
You also have to consider the fact that many drivers rarely venture 25 miles from home anyway. Maybe your work is 10 miles away, the nearest grocery store is two miles up a different street and your parents live 15 miles across town. These are the places you drive to the most, and they all keep you within that 25-mile range. Most car accidents happen within that distance just because that’s where most people drive.
Regardless of the reason, you need to be aware of the risks. If you get injured, you also need to know how to seek compensation.
