Common Causes of Car Accidents

In spite of today’s technology and a greater emphasis on automobile safety, car accidents continue to occur every day. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2009 there were almost 11 million car accidents across the country. Car accidents can lead to many unwanted consequences, including permanent injuries, loss of earnings, etc. It is important to understand the most common causes of car accidents so that efforts are taken to prevent them.

Some of the common causes of car accidents are listed below:

Distracted driving- It is the number one cause of car accidents. Distracted driving takes place when a driver diverts his or her attention from the road. Some common examples of distracted driving include talking on a cell phone, sending text messages, reaching for a moving object inside the vehicle, looking at an object or an event outside of the vehicle, reading a book, eating food and applying makeup.

Speeding- Driving over the speed limit is an easy way to cause an accident. It not only reduces the amount of time necessary to avoid an accident, but also increases the risk and makes the accident more severe if it does occur. Driving at a high speed will give the driver less time to react and prevent the accident.

Drunk driving- Drunk driving cause car accidents every day. When a person is drunk, he loses the ability to focus and function properly and it is very dangerous when operating a vehicle.

Aggressive/ reckless driving- Aggressive or reckless drivers operate their vehicle in a selfish, bold or pushy manner, without regard for the rights or safety of the other users on the streets and highways. They change lanes too quickly or tailgate before causing a car accident.

Driver fatigue- According to the U.S. National Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy drivers account for about 100,000 accidents every year in the United States. Symptoms of driver fatigue are heavy eyelids, frequent yawning, drifting vehicle that wanders over road lines, varying vehicle speed for no reason, misjudging traffic situations, and more.

Jumping red lights- Jumping red lights can lead to accidents. Drivers who jump red lights often cause wrongful death because of the side-impact collisions at high speeds.

Poor weather conditions- Poor weather conditions such as icy roads, high winds, and rain after a prolonged drought resulting in oily surfaces can pose great dangers to motorist on the roads and lead to serious accidents.

Defective automobile parts- Automobiles have many different parts, and any defect in the parts can cause a serious car accident.Common auto defects that can cause severe injuries to occupants include, tire defects, seatbelt defects and defective airbags.

Jumping stop signs- Stop signs should never be ignored, but when they are, it leads to serious car accidents. Thousands of car accidents occur because one driver ran a stop sign. Many rollover accidents and side-impact car accidents occur due to drivers that run stop signs.

Teenage drivers- Due to lack of experience in driving, when teen drivers hit the roads they do not always know what to do and thus end up causing car accidents.

Defects on roadway construction- Improper design of roadways can result in hundreds of car accident fatalities. It is the responsibility of construction contractors to properly install traffic lights and roadway signals to avoid such accidents.

Contact the Robert P. Ianelli Law Firm
845-896-4711

Robert P. Ianelli is an personal injury attorney serving your community for 38 years. If you or a loved one has suffered from an accident or injury due to someone else’s negligence, Call Today.