The Most Common Causes of Car Accidents

While some car accidents may be unavoidable and not any driver’s fault, such as a deer jumping into the road, most car accidents are preventable. There are many reasons or ways someone may be involved in a car crash, but a common reason people get into collisions is driver negligence.

Causes of Car Accidents

Car accidents can occur in a wide variety of ways. Human error or misbehavior is a primary cause of collisions. If you were injured in an accident caused by someone else, you might be eligible for compensation. Following are some of the most common causes of automotive crashes our firm handles.

Distracted driving: Distracted driving is among the most common causes of car accidents. Distracted driving can include texting while driving, talking on the phone, eating, changing the radio station, or even “rubbernecking,” like looking at a roadside accident or billboard. Unfortunately, focusing on something other than the road can lead to severe collisions. Studies have shown that engaging in an activity that takes a driver’s eyes, hands, or focus off the act of driving increases the odds that a car crash will occur, causing injuries.

Driving under the influence: Whenever anyone gets behind the wheel of a car under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they put themselves and everyone sharing the road with them at risk. Even a blood alcohol content that is less than .08 percent can result in loss of judgment, reduced coordination, and diminished ability to react to situations ahead.

Fatigued driving: Driving fatigue is extremely dangerous and is a particular hazard for truck drivers because their job is to drive for long periods, but they are not the only drivers affected. Driving while tired can lead to slowed reaction times and even result in someone falling asleep at the wheel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, collisions caused by fatigued drivers occur most frequently between midnight and 6:00 am or in the late afternoon when people experience dips in their circadian rhythm.

Reckless driving: Reckless driving is also another major cause of car accidents and includes:

• Speeding
• Tailgating
• Aggressive driving
• Switching lanes without signaling
• Ignoring traffic signs and signals

Reckless driving is anything that endangers the safety of others. For example, speeding endangers other people’s lives because the driver’s reaction time is reduced because of the vehicle’s speed, and the odds of a fatality are increased due to the forceful impact from the high rate of speed.

Tire blowouts: Tire blowouts can be extremely dangerous and are almost completely avoidable. While some blowouts occur because of an obstacle in the road, most are caused by the under-inflation of tires. When a tire is under-inflated, the sides flex more than they should. The flexing generates heat, which leads to a blowout. Other common causes of blowouts are small punctures, uneven tire tread, and old or defective tires.

Bad weather: Weather affects road conditions, making driving more dangerous. For example, rain, snow, sleet, and ice can slippery the road, causing someone to lose control of their vehicle. In addition, if someone fails to moderate their driving behavior to accommodate adverse weather conditions, they could collide with someone because they cannot stop or control their vehicle.

Road maintenance: Sometimes, the government entity that maintains a road could be at fault for auto crashes. Suppose you believe improper maintenance caused an accident in which you were injured. In that case, you need a skilled and knowledgeable personal injury attorney who can fight for your best interests.

Auto defects: Mechanical defects can result from poor design by the manufacturer or improper maintenance. Either way, a mechanical failure can lead to devastating accidents. Whether the last person to perform maintenance on the vehicle failed their duty in some way or a vehicle system failed, you might be eligible for compensation if the system failure caused an accident in which you were injured.

Construction sites: Car crashes are common in construction sites. Construction vehicles moving in and out of traffic, poorly marked lane changes, and failure to observe construction workers holding signs all contribute to crashes in these zones.

Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Today

No matter what kind of accident caused your injury, if someone else was at fault for the crash, the skilled and knowledgeable Valparaiso car accident attorneys of Custy Law Firm | Accident & Injury Lawyers are ready to help. To learn more about your legal options, call us at (219) 286-7361 or online for a free consultation.