What types of accidents are there?

Classification, types and differences of road traffic accidents (RTA)

Incidents and accidents, unfortunately, happen very often these days. This happens due to the large number of cars, inexperience of drivers, external reasons and other factors. Therefore, today we will talk about the concept, analysis, classification, main and other types of road accidents, their characteristics, causes, consequences and types of liability.

Traditional division of road accidents by type

So, how many types of accidents are divided into and how are they classified? The following types of road accidents are distinguished.

3 main factors of road accidents

Collision

This type of accident, collision, is one of the most common cases of accidents. In such an accident, a mechanical vehicle collides with another vehicle, an animal or a railway vehicle.

Collisions between two MTS occur as follows.

• The most dangerous of them are frontal ones. Most often they happen due to driving into the oncoming lane.
• A rear-end collision can involve multiple vehicles. The most common reason is failure to maintain distance.
• Side collisions are considered less dangerous, but they are very common. Usually happen at intersections due to failure to provide the required right of way in traffic.
• Tangent collisions occur due to inattention when changing lanes. Of all types, these accidents are the least dangerous.

• In most collisions with railroad vehicles, the car driver is at fault. Such accidents are almost always fatal, because the driver does not have the opportunity to stop the train.
• Collisions with animals most often occur outside the city at night. In these accidents, the car can receive severe damage, sometimes irreparable.

A specialist will tell you more about classic types of accidents in this video:

Depending on the object, there are the following types.

• On a pedestrian. A moving vehicle hits a person on the roadway or sidewalk.
• To the obstacle. In this case, a collision occurs with a stationary object.
• For a cyclist.
• Currently MTS.
• For horse-drawn transport. The car ran over a draft animal or its cart.

Now let's talk about rollovers as a type of accident.

Rollover

It happens more often on country roads where high speeds are allowed. These accidents are unpredictable. Passengers, especially those who are not wearing seatbelts, can suffer severe injuries, even death, as a result of being hit by a car.

In addition, the car may catch fire. The damage from such accidents is significant, often the car can no longer be restored.

A specialist will talk about the reasons for the formation of different types of accidents in the video below:

Falling from overpasses and bridges occurs as a result of force majeure, and as a result of the driver losing control. As a rule, a driver commits an accident while intoxicated (under the influence of alcohol or drugs). In such accidents, even when falling from low heights, people rarely survive. These accidents are characterized by severe consequences, because random people who were at the scene of the fall may also die.

Falling loads can cause serious accidents. Loads that are poorly secured pose a risk to road safety. The suddenness of the situation is especially insidious. The load falls from the car in front, and the driver of the car behind simply does not have time to react.

Read below about the types of injuries and damage to a car in an accident and the detailed classification. We talked about the types of topographic analysis of road accidents separately.

Statistics on different types of accidents

Classification by severity of consequences

There is a classification of road accidents according to the severity of the consequences.

1. Fatal.
2. With bodily harm. These may be minor injuries with short-term health problems and loss of ability to work. Moderate injuries do not pose a threat to life, but lead to long-term health problems. Severe consequences are significant and permanent loss of ability to work, they can be life-threatening.
3. Causing material damage. Material damage can be extensive. This applies in cases where the vehicle or cargo is destroyed or significantly damaged.

Even more useful information about the types of accidents and tips on how to avoid becoming involved in an accident are presented in this video:

Main types of road traffic accidents

According to the Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated June 18, 1996 No. 328 “On measures to implement the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated June 29, 1995 No. 647,” road accidents are divided into the following types:

collision - an incident in which moving vehicles collided with each other or with railway substations. This type of accident also includes collisions with a suddenly stopped vehicle (in front of a traffic light, during a traffic jam or due to a technical malfunction) and collisions of railway substations with a vehicle stopped (left) on the tracks;

rollover - an incident in which a moving vehicle loses stability and overturns;

collision with a stationary vehicle - an incident in which a moving vehicle collides with a stationary vehicle, as well as a trailer or semi-trailer;

hitting an obstacle - an incident in which a vehicle ran over or hit a stationary object (bridge support, pole, tree, fence, etc.);

hitting a pedestrian is an incident in which a vehicle runs into a person or a person collides with a moving vehicle. This type also includes incidents in which pedestrians were injured by a load or object transported by a vehicle (boards, containers, cable, etc.);

collision with a cyclist - an incident in which a vehicle ran into a cyclist or the cyclist himself collided with a moving vehicle;

collision with horse-drawn vehicles - an incident in which a vehicle ran into draft animals, as well as carts transported by these animals, or draft animals or carts transported by these animals hit a moving vehicle;

hitting an animal - an incident in which a vehicle hit wild or domestic animals;

passenger fall - an incident in which a passenger falls from a moving vehicle or in the cabin (body) of a moving vehicle as a result of a sudden change in speed or trajectory, etc., if it cannot be attributed to another type of accident. A passenger falling from a stationary vehicle while boarding (disembarking) at a stop is not an accident;

other type of accident - an incident not related to the types indicated above: the fall of a transported load or an object thrown by a vehicle wheel onto a person, animal or other vehicle, a collision with persons who are not road users, a collision with a suddenly appeared obstacle (a fallen load, separated wheel, etc.) etc.

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What types of accidents are there?

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• Road traffic accident (RTA). Concept and types

Contents of the publication:

• Road accident. Definition of the concept
• Road accident registration by Rosstat
• Types of road traffic accidents (RTA) in ODM 218.6.015-2015
• Types of road traffic accidents (RTA) in the repealed 1998 Rules
• Another type of accident is a non-contact accident.
• Who is considered dead or injured in an accident? “Limited visibility” and “road conditions associated with accidents”

Road accident. Definition of the concept

Road traffic accident is an event that occurred during the movement of a vehicle on the road and with its participation, in which people were killed or injured, vehicles, structures, cargo were damaged, or other material damage was caused (Article 2 of the Federal Law of December 10, 1995 N 196 - Federal Law “On Road Safety”)

The identical definition of the concept of “road accident” is contained in clause 1.2 of the Road Traffic Rules of the Russian Federation, approved by Resolution of the Council of Ministers - Government of the Russian Federation of October 23, 1993 N 1090.

Road traffic accident; (RTA): An event that occurred during the movement of a vehicle on the road and with its participation, in which people were killed or injured, vehicles, structures, cargo were damaged, or other material damage was caused (clause 3.1.2 of the Recommendations for the recording and analysis of road accidents). -transport accidents on highways of the Russian Federation, approved by the order of Rosavtodor dated May 12, 2015 N 853-r).

A road traffic accident (RTA) is an event that occurred during the movement of a vehicle on the road and with its participation, in which people were killed or injured, vehicles, cargo, structures were damaged (lost since May 12, 2015 Rules for accounting and analysis of road traffic -transport accidents on highways of the Russian Federation, approved by the Federal Road Service of Russia on May 29, 1998).

Road accident registration by Rosstat

Rosstat Order No. 887 dated December 29, 2017 “On approval of methodological provisions for transport statistics” (this order was not officially published) contains the following provisions:

• Deceased - a person who died at the scene of a traffic accident or died within 30 days after the accident.
• Wounded - a person who received bodily injuries at the scene of a road traffic accident, which led to his hospitalization for a period of at least one day, or the need for outpatient treatment.

State statistical reporting on road traffic accidents includes information only on road traffic accidents in which people were killed or injured .

Road traffic accidents are taken into account according to the following main criteria:

• types (collision, rollover, collision with a standing vehicle, pedestrian, obstacle, cyclist, passenger fall);
• places of commission (in populated areas, on public roads, private roads, toll roads, non-public roads, at railway crossings and other places);
• reasons, the main of which are: violation of traffic rules (including by vehicle drivers), technical malfunction of vehicles and unsatisfactory conditions of maintenance and arrangement of the road network;
• categories of victims (drivers, cyclists, passengers, pedestrians);
• participants in incidents (including those involving pedestrians and children under 16 years of age);
• time of occurrence (days of the week, time of day).

Types of road traffic accidents (RTA)
in ODM 218.6.015-2015

In the Industry road methodological document ODM 218.6.015-2015, valid since May 12, 2015, “Recommendations for recording and analysis of road accidents on highways of the Russian Federation,” approved. By order of Rosavtodor dated May 12, 2015 N 853-r, only the following types of accidents are identified:

road traffic accident with victims: An event that occurred during the movement of a vehicle on the road and with its participation, in which at least one person was killed or injured (clause 3.1.3). In this case, injured in an accident is understood to be a person who received bodily injuries in an accident that resulted in his hospitalization for a period of at least one day or the need for outpatient treatment (clause 3.1.10). who died in an accident as a person who died at the scene of an accident or died from its consequences within the next 30 days.

road traffic accident with particularly grave consequences: A road traffic accident in which 5 or more people died, 10 people or more were injured. (clause 3.1.4).

The previous Rules for accounting and analysis of road accidents on highways of the Russian Federation, approved by the Federal Road Service of Russia on May 29, 1998, contained a more detailed description of a road accident, which differed more favorably from the current Recommendations approved by Rosavtodor on May 12, 2015.

Types of road traffic accidents (RTA)
in the repealed 1998 Rules

In the Rules for recording and analysis of traffic accidents on highways of the Russian Federation, in force until May 12, 2015, approved. By Order of the Federal Road Service of Russia dated May 29, 1998 N 168, road traffic accidents were divided into the following types:

Collision is an incident in which moving vehicles collide with each other or with railway rolling stock.

This type also includes collisions with a suddenly stopped vehicle (in front of a traffic light, during a traffic jam or due to a technical malfunction) and collisions of railway rolling stock with a vehicle stopped (left) on the tracks.

Rollover is an incident in which moving vehicle overturned (for example, the court came to the conclusion that the overturning of a truck crane on the territory of a joint stock company cannot be regarded as a traffic accident, since it did not occur while the vehicle was moving along the road, as provided for clause 1.1 of the Traffic Rules; resolution of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the West Siberian District dated October 28, 2008 N F04-6437/2008 (14507-A70-11) in case N A70-470/11-2008).

Collision with a stationary vehicle is an incident in which a moving vehicle collides with a stationary vehicle or a trailer or semi-trailer.

Hitting an obstacle is an incident in which a vehicle runs over or hits a stationary object (bridge support, pole, tree, fence, etc.).

A pedestrian collision is an incident in which a vehicle hits a person or the person collides with a moving vehicle.

This type also includes incidents in which pedestrians were injured by a load or object transported by a vehicle (boards, containers, cable, etc.).

A collision with a cyclist is an incident in which a vehicle hits a cyclist or the cyclist collides with a moving vehicle.

A horse-drawn vehicle collision is an incident in which a vehicle hits draft animals, as well as the carts transported by these animals, or the draft animals or carts transported by these animals hit a moving vehicle. This type also includes hitting an animal.

Passenger fall is an incident in which a passenger falls from a moving vehicle or in the cabin (body) of a moving vehicle as a result of a sudden change in speed or trajectory, etc., if it cannot be attributed to another type of accident.

A passenger falling from a stationary vehicle while boarding (disembarking) at a bus stop is not an accident.

Another type of accident is an incident not related to the types indicated above. This includes the fall of a transported load or an object thrown by a wheel onto a person, animal or other vehicle, a collision with persons who are not road users, a collision with a suddenly appeared obstacle (a fallen load, a separated wheel, etc.), etc.

Another type of accident is a non-contact accident.

The last paragraph of paragraph 3 of Appendix 3 to the specified rules for recording and analyzing traffic accidents on highways..., apparently, also included “ another type of accident ”. We are talking, in particular, about so-called non-contact accidents.

In a non-contact accident due to the fault of the driver of the vehicle (who violated the traffic rules), harm is caused to third parties, while there is no physical contact between the vehicle of the harm-doer and the vehicle of the injured person (as well as any other object to which the harm was caused). For more information on the topic of non-contact road accidents, see the article “Non-contact road accidents. Arbitrage practice"

Falling objects on a car, snow from roofs - an accident?

To classify an event as an accident, it matters whether the “injured” car was moving at the time the damage was caused or was parked, because from the definition of the concept of an accident it follows that a road accident is an event that arose primarily while the vehicle was moving along the road.

For example, the court indicated that “from the plaintiff’s statement of claim it is clear that at the time the damage was caused, the car was parked next to the building; the basis for the claim was damage to the car as a result of falling snow, and not a traffic accident ” (resolution of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Central District dated 04.02 .2014 in case No. A09-1079/2013)

Stopping a vehicle - process of movement - accident?

The answer to this question determines whether the incident that occurred when stopping the car is considered an accident or not. Accordingly, whether the event is considered an insured event or not.

According to paragraph 1.2 of the Traffic Rules, a “road accident” is an event that occurred during the movement of a vehicle on the road and with its participation, in which people were killed or injured, vehicles, structures, cargo were damaged, or other material damage was caused.

At the same time, road traffic is a set of social relations that arise in the process of moving people and goods with the help of vehicles or without them within the boundaries of roads. Intentionally stopping the movement of a vehicle for up to 5 minutes, as well as for longer if it is necessary to board or disembark passengers or load or unload a vehicle, is a stop.

According to paragraph 1.1 of the Traffic Rules, these Traffic Rules establish a uniform traffic procedure throughout the Russian Federation.

Consequently, paragraphs 1.1 and 1.2 of the Traffic Rules, in their interrelation, relate stopping a vehicle to the process of road traffic.

According to Article 2 of the Federal Law of December 10, 1995 N 196-FZ “On Road Traffic Safety,” the term “ road ” means a strip of land or a surface of an artificial structure that is equipped or adapted and used for the movement of vehicles. The road includes one or more carriageways, as well as tram tracks, sidewalks, shoulders and dividing strips, if any. A similar concept of a road is contained in paragraph 1.2 of the Traffic Rules.

For example, guided by the above rules of law, the Third Arbitration Court of Appeal, in its ruling dated December 09, 2013 in case No. A33-11923/2013, indicated that “since the controversial event occurred at the unloading site of the company..., specially designed for the passage of cars through it for their unloading , that is, being a road, and stopping a vehicle to unload it is part of the road traffic , then the overturning of the vehicle belonging to the plaintiff occurred as a result of a road traffic accident - an insured event provided for in a voluntary insurance agreement.”

Who is considered dead or injured in an accident? “Limited visibility” and “road conditions associated with accidents”

In the now no longer in force Rules for recording and analysis of traffic accidents on highways of the Russian Federation, approved. FDS RF 05/29/1998 N 168 contained definitions of the following terms:

"4. A person who died at the scene of a traffic accident or died from its consequences within the next seven days is considered dead

5. A wounded person is considered to be a person who received bodily injuries in a road accident that resulted in his hospitalization for a period of at least one day or the need for outpatient treatment. In this case, the provision of outpatient treatment is confirmed by documents (certificates) of the medical institution.

6. Limited visibility - the visibility distance for given driving conditions does not meet regulatory requirements due to the geometric characteristics of the road or weather conditions.

7. Road conditions accompanying an accident - actual road conditions at the site of the accident at the time of its occurrence. The fact that unsatisfactory road condition(s) was the cause of the accident is determined by a court decision (based on the results of the investigation).”

Alexander Otrokhov, Logos Legal Center (Omsk), 04/15/2015. (as amended on May 17, 2019)

Every driver should know: all types of traffic accidents

Any vehicle owner must be aware of all possible risks associated with the operation of the vehicle.
In order to take into account road accidents and develop measures aimed at preventing such cases, a classification of all types of accidents that occur while driving was created. From this article you can learn how road accidents are classified according to the severity of the consequences and the type of incident.

How are road accidents classified?

In accordance with ODM 218.6.015-2015 “Recommendations for recording and analysis of traffic accidents on the roads of the Russian Federation,” a road accident is recognized as an event involving a vehicle, driver or other person, which resulted in injury or death of a person and/or material damage as a result of vehicle movement. Moreover, the accident is interpreted differently in each situation.

Collision

Occurs under the following circumstances:

1. A moving vehicle collides with another vehicle (moving or suddenly stopped). The causes of such accidents are violation of traffic rules by any driver, inattention of road users, weather conditions or vehicle malfunction.
2. One (several) vehicles collides with railway rolling stock. In this case, the vehicle crashes into the train at speed or as a result of leaving the car on the railway tracks. In this case, only the driver of the vehicle is considered to be at fault.
3. A vehicle collides with an animal crossing the roadway.

According to the degree of danger, accidents in collisions are divided into frontal, rear, tangential and side. The most common causes of these types of collisions are:

1. Driving into the oncoming lane.
2. Failure to maintain a safe distance.
3. Inattention when changing lanes and turning.
4. Ignorance of the rule of right of way at uncontrolled intersections.
5. Dark time of day, poorly lit sections of roads.

Rollover

Such accidents occur on highway sections as a result of poor adhesion of tires to the road surface (rain, ice) or other unforeseen factors that impede natural movement.

Frequent rollovers also occur when the speed limit on highways is exceeded. As a rule, they assume that the car will skid with a possible fire.

A collision is understood as an accident when a moving vehicle runs into another vehicle, a pedestrian or any obstacle. In this case , it does not matter which way the movement is carried out - in reverse or forward.

The accident is accompanied by a body impact and possible death. A collision can also be caused by a trailer vehicle. The main causes of the accident are inattention or poor visibility conditions (more information about these and other causes of accidents can be found here).

In this case, road accidents are considered collisions:

1. To the obstacle. The vehicle runs into any stationary object. They are pillars, trees, bridge supports, fences and fences, walls, etc.
2. On a pedestrian. A vehicle hits a person walking along the roadway (sidewalk) due to a violation of traffic rules by the driver or pedestrian.

Passenger fall

A prerequisite for an accident is the movement of the vehicle, in which the passenger either falls out of it or loses the usual position of the body inside the cabin (body). The most likely causes are a sudden change in speed or driving trajectory. The most dangerous falls are from overpasses, bridges, and when transporting goods.

Non-contact accident

This category of incidents is characterized by the absence of physical contact between the vehicle of the guilty person and other vehicles or objects. But harm to third parties is caused as a result of unlawful actions of the vehicle driver .

For example, car A is moving along the main road in the desired lane. Car B. from the oncoming lane turns left at the wrong time, forcing driver A. to make a sharp maneuver to the right. Then there is a collision with another vehicle.

Other cases

This category of incidents includes numerous cases when a load falls or a wheel becomes uncoupled, when a collision occurs with people who are not road users at certain moments, or when they collide with unexpected obstacles.

Is falling objects and snow from roofs onto a vehicle an accident?

From the very definition given in the traffic rules and other instructions, it becomes clear that an accident occurs when the vehicle is moving. Any incidents that occur in a parking lot or parking lot are not considered an accident.

Stopping a vehicle for up to 5 minutes or for a longer time (if necessary for boarding and disembarking passengers, unloading and loading the vehicle) is considered a road traffic process. Therefore, when objects fall on the roof or other parts of the vehicle, the situation is considered as an accident.

also important to consider the definition of the term “Road” here . In some cases, in special areas where cargo is unloaded and loaded, the incident is not counted as an accident due to the impossibility of proving that the area near the warehouse is a road. But insurers deny liability.

Classification by severity of consequences

Based on the definition of the accident itself, there are 3 possible consequences of the incident:

• fatal;
• with bodily injuries;
• with material damage;
• mixed type.

The definition of an accident is given by the Law “On Road Traffic Safety” dated December 10, 1995 N 196-FZ: “an event that occurred during the movement of a vehicle on the road and with its participation, in which people were killed or injured, vehicles, structures, cargo were damaged, or other material damage was caused."

In light of this definition, fault is determined by the degree of damage and the category of bodily injury (light, moderate, severe, especially severe).

Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated May 12, 2010 N 346n obliges forensic medical examination institutions to carry out actions in strict sequence and in full to determine the severity of injuries in accidents.

If a person receives bodily injury, he or she is considered wounded. In this case, the injury requires hospitalization for at least one day or outpatient treatment, or rather its necessity.

Minor injuries are defined as a short-term health disorder that limits the victim’s ability to work by no more than 5%.

Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated April 24, 2008 N 194n establishes criteria for harm to health of moderate and severe degrees. Moderate injuries, unlike severe ones, do not pose a threat to life and require long-term health problems (more than 21 days). Severe injuries are characterized by permanent loss of ability to work.

A fatal outcome is recorded if death occurred directly at the scene of the accident or in an outpatient setting within the next 7 days. The consequences of an accident are considered especially severe if at least 4 people are killed or more than 15 injured.

Property damage can affect any part of the road infrastructure. It expresses the amount of damage from damage to the vehicle, cargo, road surface and structures, and the cost of other services that were used at the scene of the accident.

It should be noted that the innocence of the vehicle driver in some cases is proven in a court hearing based on the case materials. At the same time, the term “limited visibility” is often manipulated.

If the visibility distance does not comply with regulatory requirements or as a result of unsatisfactory weather conditions, the Court's decision may be changed to reflect the actual result of the investigation.

More information about the methods of official investigation of road accidents can be found here.

The concept of a road traffic accident (RTA) includes only situations that arise while the vehicle is moving. In this case, negative consequences always occur in the form of various injuries or death, as well as material damage.

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Main types and causes of road accidents

Officially, a road traffic accident (RTA) is a traffic situation involving at least one car, which led to damage to property or harm to human health. There are several common causes of road accidents, depending on the main culprit.

We are talking about road accidents caused by drivers, poor road conditions, adverse weather conditions or poor technical condition of the vehicle (for example, faulty steering). Pedestrians and cyclists are often to blame for accidents.

Main causes of road accidents

In the vast majority of cases, accidents occur due to intentional or accidental violation of traffic rules. Both from drivers and from pedestrians. This is the main cause of accidents. We are talking about a wide variety of violations - failure to comply with the speed limit, ignoring the rules for driving or crossing intersections, driving into the oncoming lane or driving through a prohibiting traffic light, failure to maintain distance, violation of the rules for crossing a railway crossing, not wearing a seat belt.

Often, traffic violations are made unintentionally or provoked by other factors. Causes of road accidents:

• Drinking alcohol while driving. According to global statistics, about 35% of all accidents occur with the participation of drunk vehicle drivers. And we are talking only about officially registered cases; often an examination is simply not ordered, because intoxication does not manifest itself outwardly. Alcohol significantly reduces the speed of reaction and maneuvers, and also leads to drowsiness (especially in combination with fatigue);
• Communication while driving. Nowadays there are a huge number of electronic gadgets that drivers can use while driving. And we’re not even talking about communicating on a mobile phone, but about sending emails, browsing social networks, using Viber, WatsAPP and other programs. All this significantly reduces the driver’s attentiveness and leads to a slower reaction to danger. Thus, talking on a mobile phone reduces reaction speed by 15-20%, and typing electronic messages reduces attentiveness by 6 or even 10 times;
• Poor technical condition of the car. The technical condition of a vehicle does not often cause accidents, but it can lead to very serious consequences, including death. For example, due to an incorrectly configured brake system of the car or a non-deployed airbag;
• Poor quality of road surface. This also includes malfunctioning traffic lights, incorrect placement of road signs, and ignoring the rules for applying road markings. The problem with roads is further aggravated by the fact that road services are extremely rarely held accountable for accidents caused by potholes and holes on dangerous sections of the road;
• Incorrect behavior of pedestrians on the road. This mainly concerns jaywalking or crossing an intersection when the traffic light is red. Most often, collisions with pedestrians who do not comply with traffic rules are made in the dark. Therefore, when walking in the evenings and at night, you should take care of the presence of reflective elements on your clothes;
• Bad weather conditions. When driving in fog, heavy rain, snow or ice, the viewing range is significantly reduced, the adhesion of the tires to the road surface is reduced, and the braking distance of the car is noticeably increased. These are just some of the adverse weather factors that are a common cause of road accidents.

There are several classifications of road accidents. For example, there is a division of road accidents according to the severity of the damage caused - with death, with harm to human health and with material damage. The overwhelming majority of accidents involve property damage, but in 2017 alone, more than 17 thousand people died as a result of road accidents in Russia, and more than 194 thousand people were seriously injured.

The main classification of road accidents is related to the characteristics of their occurrence, which are set out in the Traffic Rules. Types of accidents:

• A collision between two cars or a collision between a vehicle and a rolling stock. It can be caused by a technical malfunction of the car, a sudden stop by one of the drivers, or failure to maintain the required distance between two vehicles;
• Hitting an obstacle. The obstacle must be motionless; it can be absolutely any object, from a tree or pole to a road fence or house;
• Colliding with a stationary vehicle (as well as a trailer or semi-trailer);
• Rollover, vehicle overturn (if they are not caused by other types of accidents);
• Hitting a pedestrian. This includes cases where pedestrians were injured due to a load or other object falling from a vehicle;
• Hitting a cyclist;
• Hitting a horse-drawn vehicle. The latter refers to any draft animals, as well as the carts that they transport;
• Hitting animals, that is, any wild and domestic animals and birds. For such an incident to be considered a traffic accident, there must be property damage. That is, these animals must belong to someone;
• Other types of incidents. There are many types of road accidents that occur relatively rarely - derailment of a tram, falling loads or throwing foreign objects onto a person by a car wheel, hitting a suddenly appeared obstacle, passengers falling out of a moving car or falling from a motorcycle due to a sudden change in speed or trajectory traffic, hitting people who are not participants in the traffic.

How to protect yourself from road accidents?

It is not enough to know the main causes and types of accidents on the road; it is necessary to strictly follow the measures to prevent them. There are several dozen or even hundreds of such measures; we will mention only the most important of them. Not only the safety of your property, but also the health and even lives of people depends on compliance with safety measures:

• Always slow down before public transport, intersections and pedestrian crossings;
• Turn on your car's turning lights in a timely manner. You cannot do this too early or late so as not to mislead other drivers;
• Drive slowly along rows of parked cars. A child or an unlucky driver can run out of them at any moment;
• Never overtake on a right turn. Its visibility is noticeably limited, and due to a sudden loss of control, it is easy to get into the oncoming lane and collide with a car traveling at high speed;
• On highways located outside cities, you should drive exactly in the middle of the road. There is a high probability that a wild animal or pedestrian will suddenly run out onto the highway;
• Maintain distance between cars. In good weather it should be at least 2 seconds, in bad weather - 5 seconds (we are talking about the meters that the car travels in the specified time);
• Overtake with at least 100 or 200 meters to spare. In some situations, a free oncoming lane can save not only health, but also life;
• Change lanes only after carefully assessing the traffic situation. Modern motorcyclists and bikers are able to cover a distance of a hundred meters in a matter of seconds;
• Always assume that the driver in the next car is drunk or a greenhorn. This will help you carefully monitor all maneuvers on the road;
• Watch out for cars in the next lane. If your neighbor suddenly stops, this may mean that he is letting a pedestrian pass, which you cannot yet see;
• Never interfere with overtaking. If another car is trying to “press” you, then slow down and pull to the side of the road. This will protect you from accidents and save you a considerable number of nerve cells;
• You can apologize for an unsuccessful maneuver on the road by briefly turning on the emergency signal. Always use this sign, it can smooth out many conflict situations.

Finally, let’s voice the most basic rule of safe driving - “Give way to the Fool.” It is known as the “Three D Rule” and only means that you should never follow the lead of an unbalanced, inadequate or aggressive driver. If such a driver is spotted on the road, you should immediately give way. Trying to deal with inappropriate behavior means once again provoking an accident and wasting your nerves.