Why on Earth do Car Accidents Occur?

Car accidents are often avoidable. However, without knowing the cause, it can be challenging to know what to do to prevent them. Some accident cases, such as driving under the influence and poor roads, are obvious while other causes are not well understood. Car accidents can still happen despite the new vehicle technology, such as the backup camera and adaptive headlights. The consequences can often be severe and may include loss of wages, death, or permanent disabilities.  

What are the main courses of car accidents?

A good percentage of accidents occurring on our roads has nothing to do with knowing how to drive. Although not knowing how to drive is one of the factors, nearly 95% of accidents are due to human error. So the following are various causes of car accidents. 

Distracted driving

Distracted driving has alarming statistics, especially since distracted driving is completely avoidable in several situations. According to various experts in the US, distracted driving is a significant public issue. Distracted driving can lead to delayed reactions, driving out of lane, and fatal accidents leading to serious injuries and loss of lives. Driving while concentrating on a cell phone puts the passengers and the driver at risk.

Sadly, cell phones and GPS technology are the main factors leading to car accidents caused by distracted driving. Regardless of the high risks and the laws regarding texting while driving, over 850000 US drivers still use cell phones while behind the wheels. These drivers are at a greater risk of getting into accidents due to distracted driving. In case of an accident, distracted drivers should be accountable. Victims may need a car accident lawyer Perth to help them with making their claim for injury compensation.  

Drugged and drunk driving

Around 40 years ago, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) addressed the drunk driving issue, and the issue was considered the major killer on US roads. A decade after the MADD's public advocacy, drugged and drunk driving was considered a public issue. 

Bad weather

In most cases, weather-related road conditions are the major causes of car accidents. When an accident occurs due to bad weather, you may wonder if you'll be able to get compensation or not. While Mother Nature cannot face the lawsuit, the driver rear-ending someone in a thick fog, for instance, will be held accountable for the crash. We all need to be extra cautious while driving in poor weather to avoid crashes.

Reckless driving 

Driving is risk-bound – accidents and injuries are likely to happen even if you are on the right lane. However, these risks increase when we become irresponsible on our roads. While it may not be our wish to cause accidents, others may purposely choose to drive recklessly. If a reckless driver causes an accident, he’ll be held accountable for the injuries and losses. 

Most of the drivers may become impatience at some point. You might be frustrated by traffic and slow drivers, especially when running late. However, impatience should not cause reckless driving. Also, if your emotions overcome your judgment while driving, you may end up causing a crash, and believe it or not, you'll be accountable for it. In fact, many tragic accidents are due to aggressive driving.

Over speeding

According to speeding research conducted by NHTSA, driving over the speed limit is the major problem on US roads. Speeding is a major factor leading to tragic accidents. In fact, 26% of fatal accidents in the previous year were caused by speeding drivers.

For each 10 miles p/hour, over 50 miles p/h a car travels, the dying chances of the driver and passengers double in case of an accident. According to the NHTSA, driving at a higher speed increases the accident's severity.

Red and yellow traffic lights

The most dangerous parts of the road are the intersections. And that's due to yellow light preceding red light. According to the Association for Psychological Science (APS), the yellow light pose is one of the most dangerous obstructions encountered on the road. That’s because they often force drivers to make poor decisions in less than a second.

Although yellow light is treated as red in some states, the manual for Pennsylvanian drivers is less conclusive. The manual advises drivers to decelerate and prepare to stop. However, if the drivers cannot safely stop on time, they're advised to proceed through the intersection.

Wrong turns

Wrong turns are the common pre-accidents events on US roads, left turns being the most common. In most cases, these accidents occur at intersections and when trying to cross a lane of oncoming traffic. The wrong-turn accident risk doubles when the driver assumes the turn signal or drives in bad weather conditions.

A left-turn accident can lead to a serious situation, especially when the accident involves a collision between a turning vehicle and a motorcycle. The T-bone crashes, where one vehicle collides perpendicularly with the other vehicle, lead to destructive forces on both drivers. This can lead to severe injuries and death. If you suffer severe injury in a motor vehicle accident be sure to consider finding personal injury lawyers Perth to guide you through the injury compensation claims process.

Hazards

We often expect road surfaces to be clear and free from any debris, potholes, and hazards that may make us lose control. To a certain extent, we need road crews or other drivers to warn us of hazards.

Sadly, sometimes those involved may fail to give us enough warnings and fail to maintain roads to keep them safe. Those responsible in keeping roads safe must be cautious enough to prevent road hazards from appearing from nowhere. And that may include trimming overhanging branches from the road to prevent them from falling in case of a storm.

When accidents occur due to road hazards, the car accident attorney must determine those responsible for ensuring hazards don't exist. In most instances, these parties include local government, road departments, and private land owners.

What can we take from this

A simple mistake on the road can leave you permanently disabled or a wreck of what was your classic car. In some cases, you may lose your life or the lives of your loved ones. However, all these can be avoidable by being responsible on our roads. Accidents are often avoidable, and knowing the main causes can keep you safe on the road.