It can be hard to be a parent because there are so many things that can go wrong. For example, car accidents are a common problem that can seem impossible to avoid without help. Understanding the following five accident types will help you better prepare to avoid them and keep your family safe. They are important to learn as your children age into their teen years and start driving.

1. Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions are very common and can be very dangerous. They can happen to just about anybody and in many situations. For example, up to 75% of all motorcycle accidents occur in a collision, with helmeted riders suffering fewer neck-related injuries.

Avoiding these accidents requires keeping your distance and paying attention to what other drivers are doing. Defensive driving is critical! Strategic positioning and careful braking can keep you safe and avoid serious crash risks. Stay focused and put your phone away to stay safe.

2. Windshield Damage

Damage to a windshield is particularly common and is often due to many issues. For example, even a 35-mile-per-hour wind can cause as much as 3,400 pounds of force. That force can cause objects to strike a windshield at incredible speed and cause a lot of unfortunate damage.

However, most of this damage occurs when following big vehicles that throw rocks at windshields. Try to give these vehicles plenty of room while driving. Also, pay attention to windy days and try to either stay out of the wind as much as possible or drive more carefully to avoid flying debris.

3. Single-Car Accidents

What may be surprising is that so many single-car accidents occur throughout the nation. This may happen due to rough driving conditions, such as on gravel roads or on uneven asphalt lanes with patchy surfaces. That jostling can cause a driver to lose control and crash unexpectedly.

Limiting your driving time on rough roads may help avoid this type of accident. After all, about 94% of the 2.6 million miles of paved roads in the nation are asphalt. Try to stick to better roads with more even driving surfaces to keep your car safe from this accident type.

4. Parked Car Damage

As a parent, nothing is more frustrating than getting a call from your teen that their car got hit in a parking lot. This situation may seem impossible to predict or stop but is actually preventable if you take a few simple steps that minimize its risk of occurrence.

For example, try to always park directly in the center of a spot to avoid getting hit by frustrated or careless drivers. You may also want to park away from traffic or in the back spot in a parking lot. If possible, you may also want to park in a garage to minimize your risk of serious accidents.

5. Intersection Crashes

Intersections are a particularly dangerous place to drive because cross-traffic is often so unpredictable. Even when you follow all traffic laws and signals, you may end up in an accident if other drivers are not careful. Is there anything that you can do to prevent this frustrating situation?

The best thing to do here is to practice defensive driving. Even if someone honks at you when the light turns green, wait a moment before passing. Doing so may help you spot people frantically trying to get through a yellow light or people just flagrantly running a red light.

As you can see, protecting your children as a parent includes taking steps to minimize their crash risk. If you follow these steps, you can give your children a better chance of being happy and healthy. Just as importantly, you can model better driving behaviors that they can follow when they start driving. That benefit is enormous if you’re concerned about how your children may drive as they mature.