Road disasters in India

Definition of traffic accident
A traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, road traffic collision, road traffic accident, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle,
pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction, such as a tree or utility pole. Traffic collisions may result in injury, death, vehicle damage, and property damage.

Causes
A number of factors contribute to a traffic accident. For example:

1. vehicle design, 
2. speed of operation, 
3. road design, 
4. road environment,
5. driver skill and/or impairment, and 
6. driver behaviour.

Types of traffic accidents
Traffic collisions can be classified by type of collision. For example,

1. head-on, 
2. road departure, 
3. rear-end, 
4. side collisions, and
5. rollovers.

The main elements of good driving are:

1. controlling a car including a good awareness of the car's size and capabilities
2. reading and reacting to road conditions, weather, road signs and the environment and
3. alertness, reading and anticipating the behavior of other drivers.

In order to minimise accidents, several measures have been taken-up including:

1. law enforcement policies (drink-driving laws, setting of speed limits, and speed enforcement systems such as speed cameras & use of seat belts)

Effects
Impacts due to traffic accidents:

1. Loss of life or injury or life-long disability
2. Loss of property
3. Psychological stress (PTSD)
4. Increased insurance costs
5. Associated social discrimination