5 Mistakes That Can Lead to a Rear End Accident

Whether they’re minor bumper-crunchers or life-altering crashes, rear end accidents have one thing in common: many of them could have been avoided.

After the fact, it’s easier for us to identify the contributing factors.

“If I had just…”

“If they had waited 5 seconds to…”

Following an incident like this, it’s normal to think back to the moments leading up to the rear end accident. We run through the internal data, sorting scenario after scenario to identify a key lesson that might help us or a loved one avoid something like this in the future.

Can you relate to these 5 all-too-common mistakes?

Mistake #1: Paying attention to the wrong things (a.k.a distracted driving)

Technology has evolved, but we’re just as easily distracted as ever! We’re constantly connected, inundated with notifications, alerts, buzzes and more.

We’re even pretty good at distracting ourselves! We have to know right now if the text we were waiting for came in when we weren’t expecting it.

And it’s not just technology. Instead of paying attention to the road and the behaviors of other motorists, it’s easy to drift off into daydreams, zoning out when the task at hand calls for concentration.

It’s easy to realize too late that the car in front of you is stopped as you slam on the brakes, hoping the car behind you notices!

Mistake #2: Driving in hazardous road conditions

It’s easy to get in over your head. What starts out as a simple trip to the store can easily become a dangerous trek as road conditions worsen. Weather events and roadway construction are just some of the obstacles you may face when trying to get from point A to point B.

Road or construction debris enters your lane, someone swerves, brake lights light up everywhere, and the potential for a crash is evident.

Tip: Use your phone to check weather and construction status reports before you head out for the day. You’ll be in a better position to avoid potential hazards and reduce your risk for a rear end accident.

Mistake #3: Making assumptions and taking risks

A common rear end accident happens when one driver is waiting to make a right turn, the trailing driver sees a break in traffic and assumes the driver in front merged, and then without looking, accelerates. Never assume: always check to see if the driver did merge successfully.

Risky driving behaviors like accelerating through yellow lights, excessive speeding, drunk driving, and aggressive driving all significantly increase the chances you’ll end up in an unexpected crash. While you can’t control the behavior of other drivers, you can always opt for safe and defensive driving tactics.

Mistake #4: Driving too defensively!

Sometimes using an abundance of caution can backfire. Often it’s safer to go with the flow of traffic than trying to meticulously cross every T. We’ve all seen drivers traveling well under the speed limit who cause traffic obstacles and near misses.

Avoid excesses, drive conservatively, and use common sense. It’s also good to regularly scan your mirrors for outliers and dangers.

Mistake #5: Relying on inadequate technology

Technologies like seatbelts, anti-lock brakes, lane warning systems, cameras, and more make our travels safer than ever. We might even take one of our primary rear end accident deterrents for granted: brake lights.

Unfortunately, brake lights vary widely in their levels of brightness and intensity. Some use standard bulbs, some are LED, and some are old, new, or missing altogether. Even if brake lights were perfect, they typically only emit a single, sustained alert that just doesn’t get our attention. These inconsistencies combined with how easy it is for us to be distracted make it easier for us to miss stopped vehicles.

That’s where effective and affordable rear collision avoidance systems (RCAS) like Impulse can help. Learn more here.

Rear end accidents can be avoided

Accidents. Crashes. Whatever you call them, we can all agree that they are no fun at all. Rear end accidents are both costly and injury inducing, but with some preparation, safer driving, and improved technology, they can be avoided.

Get The Collision Alert System for the driver behind you.

It installs in seconds and pulses bright LEDs on hard braking.