Common Accident Misconceptions 

There can be a lot of misinformation about accidents which becomes universally accepted. However, this blog intends to debunk some of those myths and show you some facts about two types of accidents: road traffic accidents and accidents at work. 

Accidents on the Road

1. Rear-ending accidents are always the fault of the car at the back: While you may believe that you are naturally not at fault if you were the car in front, this is not always true. There are occasions where the front car has at least some degree of liability for the accident. For example, if you cut off the other driver, or your brake lights weren’t functioning properly or if you even reversed into the car behind then the accident would be your fault. 
2. I was just holding my mobile, I wasn’t actually using it: Even if you are just holding a mobile phone this is enough to be a problem. It doesn’t matter if you weren’t making a call or sending a text, it is still an offence to have it in your hands while driving as this obstructs you from properly being in control of the vehicle which could cause an accident. 
3. Lorry drivers can see everything around them: Actually, lorry drivers will always have some blind spots and therefore it is important that all motorists are aware of their surroundings to ensure their safety and the safety of other people on the road. Particularly, lorries which are coming over from abroad and therefore left-hand-drive might struggle to see cars or motorbikes alongside them. Therefore, drivers should always spend the minimum time possible alongside a lorry when overtaking. Similarly, it is also important not to change lanes into a blind-spot of the lorry driver because the driver might be about to pull out to overtake another vehicle. 

Accidents at Work

1. It is impossible to create a hazard-free workplace: Many employees and employers believe that it is completely impossible to create a hazard free workplace. However, E.J. Ajax and Sons in Minnesota have proven that it is possible to have an injury free, safe workplace. Over the past 17 years they have had zero lost workdays and for the past 5 years they have had no injuries that were recorded by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the United States. Therefore, while it requires diligent and consistent work on the part of everyone who is employed at that workplace, it is possible to greatly minimise the risk of accident and injury to the point that it becomes negligible. 
2. It is too expensive to make the workplace safe: When a company suggests that it is too expensive to make the workplace safe, this suggests a lack of care about cost/benefit analysis and thinking for the long-term. Steve Ludwig completed a sample size analysis which compared companies who were in the top 20% of high performance with companies who had the highest number of injuries. He found that companies who were the highest performing generally also had the lowest amount of accident rates. Not only does this suggest that they did not lose workdays due to someone being hurt and the commotion that this would cause/their subsequent inability to work but that a safer workplace also made people generally more productive. Increased productivity also means increased revenue – which means more money, helping to recuperate back costs spent on ensuring safety in the workplace. To find out more give this article from EHS Today. 
3. What causes accidents:In a 2016 survey conducted by The Telegraph and YouGov for Avia found that most drivers thought the most common cause of a crash was driver error or reaction. However, the most common cause was found to be failing to judge the speed of others as well as manoeuvring errors such as suddenly breaking. The biggest number of serious and fatal accidents was simply due to a failure of drivers to look at their surroundings properly before making a move on the road. 

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