Due to the rapid advancement of technology and the fast-paced lifestyle that people grow up in cities, the adoption of cars has been rising drastically in recent years. The number of driving licenses issued in 2020 was 228,687, up from 190,625 in 2010, according to the US Department of Transportation (DOT, 2021).
The relationship between the two factors is linear, so there are more people and vehicles on the road today than there were ten years ago.
Car accidents can happen for a variety of reasons, some of which can be controlled, such as speeding, tailgating, changing lanes while sleepy, or recklessly driving, and others which cannot, such as car failure, adverse weather, a lack of traffic signs, or poor road conditions.
However, the most common type of accident is a car crash, which might involve a single vehicle, several vehicles, a rollover, or rear-end or sideswipe incidents. Serious adverse effects like injuries, disabilities, and even death may result from this. Not to mention that both personal and social costs resulted from the loss of property and the damage to the car.
Distracted driving
The statistics on distracted driving are concerning, particularly given that, in most circumstances, it can be avoided almost entirely. According to experts, distracted driving poses a serious risk to public health in the US. Distracted driving causes slower reaction times, makes keeping a car in its lane challenging, and causes catastrophic accidents that result in severe injuries and fatalities. Every time a driver uses a cell phone while operating a vehicle, we are all in danger.
The NHTSA estimates that at any given point during the day, more than 850,000 drivers in the United States are texting or otherwise using cellphones while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, despite the apparent risks of texting and despite state laws (including in Pennsylvania) making it unlawful. These drivers are much more likely than other drivers to be involved in an accident.
Distractions, primarily from electronic gadgets, are the third leading cause of pedestrian fatalities, according to Active Transportation Alliance(2018).
There are several ways to engage in distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) divides driver distraction into three categories:
Drivers who take their eyes off the road are distracted visually.
Manual: When drivers remove their hands from the steering wheels, manual distractions happen.
Cognitive: Drivers who allow their minds to roam or become concerned with something other than driving are distracted cognitively.
Some types of driving distractions—which are extremely risky—involve two, three, or even all three distractions. For instance, someone who sends texts while driving is probably doing so while looking at their phone (a visual distraction), using the keypad or screen (a physical distraction), and thinking about what to text (a cognitive distraction).
According to studies, sending or reading a text message only takes a few seconds under normal circumstances, but at 55 mph, it’s like driving a football field’s length while keeping your eyes closed.
- Six times more deadly than drunk driving is texting and driving.
- Cell phone use while driving reduces brain activity linked with driving by 37%.
- Driving while texting impairs one’s physical and mental capacity to steer and respond to traffic situations. This is the exact combination for a fatal collision at the correct speed.
Drunk and drugged driving
According to Waylen and McKenna (2008), driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol increases the likelihood of an accident three times while lowering the driver’s awareness, reflexes, and attention. Violent car crashes are often dangerously caused by drunk or drugged driving. Alcohol affects all aspects of brain activity, including thinking, judgment, and muscular control. This increases the hazard of drinking and driving.
For instance, it makes it more difficult for the driver to respond to the road and the surroundings of their car. The drunk driver’s failure to take any precautions to prevent or decrease the collision’s severity might result in very violent collisions.
In Missouri, driving while intoxicated is prohibited. This includes operating a vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol or other drugs like marijuana or painkillers.
Families are devastated by these deaths. Children are deprived of having parents. Parents are deprived of their kids as a result.
Speeding
Speed-related crashes cost Americans $40.4 billion each year, according to Insurance Information Institute, 2019.
According to the US Department of Transportation,2020 speeding was the primary factor in 31% of fatal motorcycle accidents, 18% of fatal automobile crashes, 14% of fatal light-truck crashes, and 7% of fatal large-truck crashes in 2018
Speeding killed 10,111 people in the US in 2016, accounting for more than a quarter (27%) of all traffic fatalities, according to NHTSA, 2018.
Speed was a factor in 31% of US teen driver fatalities, according to NHTSA, 2018
The NHTSA surveyed speeding in March 2018 and found that people casually exceeding the speed limit is a significant issue on American highways. A significant fraction of fatal crashes is caused by speeding. In reality, speeding drivers were to blame for 26% of all fatal accidents in a recent year, which cost 13,000 lives.
The chance of the driver and passengers of a car dying in a collision doubles every 10 miles per hour, exceeding the speed limit of 50 miles per hour. While exceeding the speed limit worsens incidents on highways, 86 percent of fatal speeding-related accidents happened off interstate highways, according to the NHTSA report.
In other words, speeding is unsafe not only on highways but also very risky on back roads, city streets, and other roadways—and it’s virtually always a sign of carelessness.
Speed calls for quicker reaction times. It would help if you had faster reaction times at higher rates of speed in case something happens or immediate action is required to prevent a crash. Due to unforeseen risks, several highways have posted lower speed restrictions than you would expect. If you decide to drive quickly on those roads, you can approach the dangers too quickly and have an accident.
The capacity of the driver to handle curves and other road hazards is reduced by speeding. When you are speeding, it may be challenging to react to curves in the road and keep your car in the right lane. Unfortunately, other drivers might not know how you intend to move when your car slides toward oncoming traffic.
High speeds need extra stopping space. If you choose to drive too fast, you will need extra time to stop your car if a ball bounces out into the road and is followed by a youngster. Additionally, you might require more space to stop if an animal jumps into the road or another car suddenly applies the brakes in front of you.
An accident’s force is increased by speeding. As you speed up after an accident, more force is transferred to your car and the other driver’s car. You can experience more force in an accident caused by speeding, which could worsen your injuries or raise your risk of suffering a significant injury or passing away.
Reckless driving & road rage
Over one-third of all traffic accidents is the result of tailgating. According to Safe Motorist (2019), aggressive driving is to blame for 66% of traffic fatalities. A firearm is used in 37% of incidences of aggressive driving. Drivers between the ages of 19 and 39 who were men and younger had a much higher likelihood of acting aggressively, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (2016).
In response to aggressive actions like blowing horns, making offensive gestures, or tailgating, 50% of drivers also admit to acting aggressively.
In a 2020 survey of US drivers 16 and older, it was discovered that 45% of participants admitted to exceeding the posted speed limit on a freeway by at least 15 mph in the previous 30 days, along with 23% of those who drove through a stop sign and 21% of those who tailgated or changed lanes suddenly according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (2021).
An inherent danger of accidents and injury exists when operating a motor vehicle or riding in one. However, when other drivers on the road behave recklessly, these dangers considerably rise. While some drivers make a mistake, others may choose to drive recklessly on purpose. All accident victims have the right to seek compensation for their damages from a driver who causes the collision on purpose.
Most drivers will experience driver impatience at some point in their lives. You can become impatient with slow cars and traffic if you’re rushing or running behind schedule. You should let your impatience lead you to avoid driving carelessly or aggressively.
Drivers who allow their emotions to affect their judgment can cause devastating and tragic accidents. One of the most frequent reasons for auto accidents is aggressive driving. The three most common aggressive driving modes are tailgating, reckless driving, and road rage.
Poor weather
According to NHSTA, in 2019, 17% of all vehicle crashes occurred during winter.
FHWA (2019) reports reveal that freeway speeds are reduced by 3% to 13% in light snow and 5% to 40% in heavy snow. Each year, 24% of weather-related vehicle crashes occur on snowy, slushy, or icy pavement, and 15% during snowfall or sleet. Weather-related road conditions can significantly impact what happens in car accidents. In reality, it ranks among the significant factors in auto accidents.
If poor driving conditions result in an accident, you could be interested in financial compensation. Mother Nature cannot be sued, but a driver who rear-ends someone in a thick fog, for example, is still liable for the accident. All drivers must use greater caution while driving in adverse weather to prevent accidents.
Driving should be done with prudence in lousy weather. In springtime, a safe road to travel at 60 mph may become hazardous at 30 mph during a heavy downpour.
Due to drivers’ frequently limited visibility, ice may pose even more significant risks than snow. Black ice, a condition where a road appears wet but is frozen, is responsible for some of the worst accidents on local roadways.
It’s scary, as anyone who has ever struck a patch of black ice can testify. A driver can lose control of a car at any speed. The issue to consider when black ice is a factor in a car accident is if the driver was entirely ignorant of the risk posed by icy roads and was operating his vehicle as if it were only a little bit wet. Ice is a problem whenever it is below freezing, and the roadways are wet. In those circumstances, failing to drive with utmost caution may constitute negligence.
Even if you drive carefully, accidents can still happen. However, avoiding the top 5 accident causes can significantly lower your risk of getting into one.