Did you know that according to car accidents statistics, there are 6 million accidents in the U.S. every year, with more than 90 people dying in bad car accidents every day? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the four biggest causes of car accidents that result in at least one fatality include drunk driving (causing 32% of fatal crashes), speeding (31%), distraction (16%), and bad weather (11%).
Since the majority of accidents don’t result in a fatality and aren’t caused by such things, here’s a short list of some of the most common causes of car accidents to help you avoid dangerous situations.
Following Too Close.
When drivers follow another vehicle too closely, otherwise known as tailgating, they don’t leave a big enough safety zone between their vehicles and the ones in front of them. This is naturally one of the most common causes of car accidents since it significantly reduces a driver’s time to react to sudden breaking or traffic condition in a safe way.
Distracted Driving.
Driving requires a person’s full attention, as much as some wouldn’t like to admit. Things like talking on the phone, eating, doing makeup, and texting are all some of the most common causes of car accidents. Believe it or not, drivers who use a hand-held device are four times more likely to get into an accident than those who are paying their full attention. What’s more, texting while driving makes a person 23 more times as likely to get into an accident!
Unsafe Lane Changes.
Switching lanes suddenly and without warning is obviously going to be one of the biggest causes of car accidents. Cars have turn signals for a reason. Drivers also need to make sure there aren’t any vehicles in their blind spots and proceed carefully into the next lane. It’s also important to be able to anticipate others movements, which means driving in other motorists’ blind spots is a terrible idea.
Car accidents today are all too common. Whatever might have caused you to crash or been crashed into, it’s important to work with a car accidents lawyer to get the settlement you deserve. If you have any questions about what the most common causes of car accidents are, feel free to ask in the comments. For more information see this.
