Anytime you get in a car and drive, you take the risk of getting in a car accident. In 2018 alone, over 6.7 million car accidents occurred, and many of these collisions caused fatalities.
If you’ve recently been involved in a car accident, you might be suffering from injuries right now. If you didn’t cause the accident, you might want to consider suing the other driver.
When you hire a lawyer for your case, he or she will want to know what caused the accident. Many things can lead to car accidents, but there are numerous common causes of car accidents.
If you wonder what the most common causes of car accidents are, you’re in the right place. Here is a list of the top things that lead to car accidents and suggestions for you to consider if you need legal advice for your case.
Speeding
If you’re wondering about the most common causes of car crashes, one is speeding. Roads have speed limits for a reason, and failing to abide by the posted limits can increase your chances of getting in an accident.
People speed for many reasons. For one, they might be in a hurry to get somewhere. People also speed because they have road rage or don’t like driving. In any case, speeding causes many collisions each year.
When a person drives too fast, they might not have time to stop fast enough. They might also lose control of their vehicle while driving.
If this is what caused your accident, you might want to talk to a car accident attorney. Hiring a car accident attorney after a collision is vital, especially if you have major injuries.
Driving Under the Influence
Another one of the top reasons for car crashes is driving under the influence. If a person drives while they are under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication, it can affect their senses and reflexes.
People driving under the influence might not see cars quickly enough. They might fail to stop at stop signs, and they might break other driving laws. When this occurs, they can injure innocent people.
Driving this way is illegal, and there are plenty of reasons why there are laws relating to this subject. If someone drives while they are intoxicated and causes a collision, you can press charges.
You might also have the opportunity to pursue criminal charges against this person. Driving under the influence is a severe offense that causes fatalities and injuries every day.
Inclement Weather
When it rains or snows, or even when it is extremely windy, you must change your driving habits to accommodate for the inclement weather conditions. If you don’t, you could cause a road collision.
Inclement weather accounts for many car accidents each year. Driving is more challenging when it rains or snows, which is why you must slow down during times of bad weather.
Bad weather decreases a person’s visibility while driving, and snowy roads can be slippery. Using extra caution and driving slower will help you avoid collisions that are due to bad weather conditions.
Inexperience Behind the Wheel
Most people know that teenage drivers pay higher auto insurance rates than people in other categories. Do you know why, though? Teen drivers lack experience behind the wheel. As a result, they tend to cause more accidents than experienced drivers.
Teen drivers might cause accidents from driving too fast. They might also cause collisions from failing to follow driving laws or from being distracted. As a result, inexperience behind the wheel is a leading cause of car accidents.
Fatigue
Another one of the top causes of road accidents is fatigue. Fatigue is something that everyone experiences, but it doesn’t mix well with driving.
When people feel tired while driving, they might fall asleep behind the wheel. They could also enter into a relaxed state of mind, leaving them with impaired reflexes.
Falling asleep behind the wheel might seem extreme, but it happens. When it happens, it leads to many accidents each year.
While there is nothing you can do about other drivers feeling tired while they drive, you should make a habit of pulling over when you get tired. By pulling over and taking a break, you can feel refreshed and have enough energy to continue.
Vehicle Defects and Lack of Auto Maintenance
There are also situations when accidents occur from vehicle defects or lack of maintenance. If a person doesn’t replace their tires or brakes when needed, they might encounter problems while driving that could cause an accident.
Car owners cannot always control vehicle defects. For example, if a person is driving and their gas pedal sticks or their brakes stop working, they cannot control this event. The problem is that these types of defects often cause collisions.
Other common vehicle defects that cause collisions include steering wheel issues and windshield wiper malfunctions. If anything with your car goes wrong while driving, it could lead to an accident.
Distracted Driving
All these reasons lead to car crashes, but the leading cause of car accidents is distracted driving. Distracted driving occurs when drivers are not paying attention to the road while driving.
People today often text while driving, and this is a problem that leads to many collisions. People also get distracted by reading emails, making phone calls, or adjusting the radio dial.
Anything that causes a person to take their eyes off the road is a distraction. Any type of distraction increases a person’s chances of causing a collision.
Did One of the Top Causes of Car Accidents Lead to Your Collision?
While these are the most common causes of car accidents, collisions also happen for other reasons. If you were in an accident, was it the result of one of these causes or something else?
With the right evidence, you can pursue a lawsuit against the responsible party. To do so, give us a call. We specialize in all types of accidents and can help you settle your case.
