However, insurers emphasize that the higher the permitted speed, the greater the chance of getting into traffic accidents, and remind them of the principles that should be followed in order to protect yourself and other road users on the road.
According to the available data of “Lietuvos drimadu”, in the first half of the year the most dangerous months on main roads are April and May – this trend has been followed for several years.
“We notice that every year when the higher speed limit comes into force, the number of traffic accidents also increases – it is more difficult to control a faster car and stop it if necessary. In addition, it takes time to update driving skills in warm weather, when the speed of cars moving together in traffic increases, you have to drive in the rain, in bright sunlight. Wild animals and birds that enter the road also pose a danger,” notes Giedrius Petrikas, head of the transport claims department at “Lietuvos dramudi”.
The most dangerous main road last year was the A1 road, and the section between Kaunas and Klaipėda recorded the most accidents. On the A2 Vilnius-Panevėžys highway, compared to the A1, regarding 9 times less car accidents were recorded last year, according to the data of “Lietuvos dramudi”.
“Last year, we recorded the most insurance-related traffic accidents on the A1 highway, and their number increased significantly during the warm season. And it is not surprising – this highway becomes extremely busy when the weather warms up, since it is the main and busiest road leading to the port city and seaside resorts. The majority of car accidents on this highway consist of minor incidents, when the car’s windows and trim details are damaged,” comments the insurance expert.
According to G. Petrik, drivers should be extremely careful when driving along the country’s main road artery, Vilnius-Klaipėda, because of the ruts and road surface repair “patches”. It’s no secret that drivers often tend to exceed the speed limit in the warm season, so every uneven road surface is a safety threat when driving at high speed.
“During the warm season, we also notice that more and more drivers apply for compensation following collisions with wild animals. In the spring and summer season, roe deer, moose, wild boars run onto the roadway, and if you do not choose a safe speed, such a collision can result not only in car damage, but also in injuries or even death. Also more frequent are such cases when cars collide with birds – during such a collision it becomes difficult to control the vehicle, so choosing a safe speed would help to avoid greater damage here,” G. Petrikas shares his advice.
The expert draws attention to another important factor – road sections under repair, which are narrowed to the minimum limit and, as a result, allowable speed is significantly limited. However, drivers tend to exceed it and drive “with the flow”, as a result of which quite a number of incidents often occur – from small ones, such as flat tires, to very large, even tragic events, when they collide with road users or their equipment.
According to the data of “Lietuvos dramudis”, the largest damage paid out last year due to traffic occurred on the main road, amounting to 70,000. euros. In difficult weather conditions, while driving on the Kaunas-Klaipėda highway, the driver did not choose a safe speed and hit the road barriers, and the car behind him did not have time to react and also collided with him.
In total, according to the company’s data, over 450 cases of vehicle damage were recorded on main roads last year, and the total amount of damages reached 700 thousand. euros.
Last year, the average payout for damage sustained in a traffic accident on the main road amounted to more than 1,500 euros.
Insurance expert G. Petrikas reminds that in order to avoid traffic accidents on highways it is important to:
• Do not exceed the permitted speed and, taking into account the existing circumstances, choose a safe speed;
• Do not drive in a hooligan manner and respect other road users;
• Be extremely careful and observe road signs, be especially alert on road sections where wild animals can run;
• Always take the weather conditions into account when driving;
• Keep a safe distance from other vehicles.
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2024-04-06 15:53:19