types of accidents


Automobile Accident Statistics

Automobile accidents are consistently one of the top causes of death in the United States, right behind heart disease and cancer. In fact, in 2003, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that they were the top cause of death for Americans between the ages of four and 34. Sadly, the vast majority of these deaths are preventable, because most automobile accidents can be traced to irresponsible behavior by one or more of the people involved. Smart Motorist, a private nonprofit organization that publishes auto safety information, says 95 percent of auto accidents involve bad behavior by one or more driver.

A 2006 joint study by the NHTSA and the Virginia Tech Traffic Center found that the most common cause of accidents and near-misses was distracted driving. Using cameras to watch 100 drivers for more than a year and over 2 million miles, they found that distracted drivers were three times as likely as non-distracted drivers to be involved in a crash. Looked at another way, they said 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes happened within three seconds of some kind of distraction. And young drivers between 18 and 20 years old were four times more likely to have an accident due to inattention than drivers over 35.

Common distractions the study found contributing to accidents included:

If drivers are impaired by any of these factors, the study said, they’re more likely to miss crucial visual cues or fail to yield the right-of-way to another driver. They are also more likely to engage in reckless behavior that adds further danger to the situation.

A better-known type of distracted driving is drunk driving, which was a factor in 7 percent of all crashes in 2005, but a sobering 39 percent of all fatal crashes. That data, from the NHTSA, represented one alcohol-related traffic death every 31 minutes. And while speeding is not a distraction, it’s a reckless driver behavior that contributed to 39 percent of fatal crashes and 10 percent of injury-only crashes in 2005. The NHTSA estimates that speeding-related crashes cost the United States $40.4 billion per year. When drunk drivers speed, the numbers are even grimmer: 40 percent of the drunk drivers involved in a fatal crash in 2005 were speeding, but only 14 percent of drivers with no alcohol in their blood were involved in fatal speeding-related crashes.

Of the five percent of crashes not caused by negligent driving, Smart Motorist cites bad road maintenance and design as the next most common causes. Responsibility for designing and maintaining a clear and smooth roadway varies according to the road -- some are city roads, and others are maintained by the county, the state or the federal government. Indeed, there could be more than one agency responsible for a bad road. Debris, such as a fallen tree branch, a dead animal or cargo that came loose from a truck, is the most common hazard on the roads. Unreadable road signs that have faded or are covered by plants are another common problem. Less common causes are potholes and other cracks in the roadway; construction-related hazards; and not enough salting or sanding in winter. Roads should also offer clear views of hazards ahead and be adequately controlled by signs and signals.

A comparatively small but devastating cause of accidents is defects in an automobile or one of its parts. In this scenario, everyone involved in the accident is an innocent party -- except the manufacturer that negligently or even recklessly offered a defective product for sale. We trust auto manufacturers to offer us safe vehicles and vehicle parts, but in recent years, we’ve seen several cases in which that simply wasn’t so, including recalls of almost seven million defective, blowout-prone tires and growing awareness that many SUVs are inherently unsafe due to their tendency to roll over during normal driving maneuvers. Smart Motorist cites brakes, tires and steering components as the equipment most reported as failing.

Auto accidents happen in a split second, but their impact on the lives of victims and their families can last a lifetime. In an instant, victims can lose a loved one, become permanently disabled or disfigured, or sustain serious injuries that force them to rearrange their entire lives. And the damages go beyond physical injuries, affecting victims’ mental health, their finances, even their ability to work for a living. If you’ve been involved in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, recklessness or defective product, you are legally entitled to hold that person responsible in a court of law.

Bisnar | Chase has been pursuing justice for auto accident victims since 1978, recovering millions of dollars each year for injured clients. We have attorneys who represent car crash clients exclusively, giving them the time to build extensive experience and knowledge about car accident cases. We offer free consultations to victims, and we never take a fee until you win your case. But the statute of limitations for filing a case can be as short as six months -- so you must act fast to protect your rights. For a free evaluation of your situation, call us today at 1-866-990-8787 or click here to fill out our convenient, no-obligation online consultation form.