Baton Rouge Pre-Loss Condition Body Shop: Avoid A Car Accident In Baton Rouge

Editor's note: This post was originally published on April 23, 2017 and has been updated for accuracy and relevance.

As a collision center, we have the honor of returning your vehicle to a condition that is as good or better than it was before an accident. But if we had our way, we would prefer you not be in an accident at all. Unfortunately, Louisiana ranks in the top ten nationally for the number of drunk driving accidents, top five for accidents caused by speeding, and worse yet, top ten for traffic fatalities per-capita. To help you avoid a car accident in Baton Rouge, we have the top five most common causes of accidents nationwide.

1. Distracted Driving – We’re sure this isn’t the first time you’ve heard the warnings about having your eyes on your cell phone instead of the road. Despite the warnings, the lure of the unread text, the desire to respond to a Facebook post, or the want to catch up on e-mail is now the number one cause of traffic accidents in the United States. That is not to say that distracted driving wasn’t a problem before, but the numbers have soared with the popularity of smart phones.
2. Speeding – Speeding has long been a problem in Louisiana, especially in Baton Rouge. What makes speeding so dangerous is the combination of reducing reaction time while increasing the effects of the impact. This leads to an increased percentage of fatalities when speeding is a factor in an accident.
3. Drunk Driving – Thanks to massive public awareness campaigns and stricter enforcement, drunk driving has actually declined in recent years. Recent campaigns have focused on “buzzed or impaired” driving being the same as drunk driving. Hopefully, if these show the same effectiveness, the numbers will continue to trend downward.
4. Reckless Driving – Though this may seem like a vague term or redundant when you consider the previous three items on this list could all fall into this category, it’s important to note that “reckless driving” can include many other factors. Changing lanes without looking, turning into traffic without enough room to accelerate, or “running a yellow light” are just three examples of other ways a driver can be reckless. Usually, a combination of carelessness with impatience leads to something in the reckless category.
5. Inclement weather – To be fair, weather is usually a factor in areas of the country that are impacted by snow. But, that is not to say we are immune to it. In South Louisiana, we have more than our fair share of torrential downpours and rain events that limit vision, traction, and reaction time.

If the day comes that you are in an accident, we at Medines Collision Center will be happy to make sure your vehicle looks and operates just as it did before the accident. But, if we can in some small way help you avoid that accident completely, we'd be even happier.