Over 37,000 people die in road crashes in the U.S. each year, with an additional 2.35 million suffering injuries and disabilities. Negligence is at the root of many auto accidents. Find out the leading causes of auto accidents.
2. Causes of Auto Accidents
Over 37,000 people die in road crashes in the U.S. each year, with an
additional 2.35 million suffering injuries and disabilities. Negligence is at
the root of many auto accidents. Some of the leading causes of auto
accidents in the U.S. include:
Distracted Driving
Speeding
Aggressive Driving
Driving Under the Influence
3. Distracted Driving
In 2012, 3,328 people were killed in auto accidents involving a distracted
driver, while 421,000 people were injured. Any activity that takes your
eyes, hands, or mind away from driving is a distraction. Examples include:
Texting
Talking on a cell phone
Adjusting the radio
Using a handheld GPS
Personal grooming
Eating
Talking to passengers
4. Speeding
Speeding includes exceeding the speed limit, driving too fast for
conditions, or racing. Speeding slows down a driver's reaction time to
avoid a crash and can worsen the damage.
Speeding caused 28% of
all motor vehicle crash
deaths in the U.S. in 2014.
5. Aggressive Driving
Aggressive driving occurs when "an individual commits a combination of
moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property"
and causes more than 50% of fatal accidents. Aggressive driving
behaviors include:
Speeding
Improper or erratic lane changing
Tailgating
Passing where prohibited
Failure to signal
Making an improper turn
Failure to obey traffic signs
Racing
Illegal driving on the shoulder, in a ditch or on a sidewalk or median
Operating a vehicle in a reckless, erratic or negligent manner
6. Driving Under the Influence
Alcohol impairs a driver's motor skills,
judgement, attentiveness and cognitive
function.
Every day, nearly 30 people in the U.S.
die in motor vehicle accidents involving an
alcohol-impaired driver, amounting to one
death every 51 minutes.
7. Contact Us
If you have suffered an injury as a result of an auto
accident, contact the Law Office of Daniel L. Crandall
for a free telephone or in-person consultation:
Local: 540-342-2000
Toll Free: 800-LAW-8000