Motor vehicle collisions are unfortunately commonplace: The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports that every minute in United States, approximately 13 collisions occur. Although the term “accident” is often used to refer to motor vehicle collisions, crashes are rarely accidents at all.
Most collisions are caused by driver error or negligence.
By being aware of the various types of driver errors that contribute to crashes, you can mitigate the chances of contributing to the 40,000 deaths that occur every year in the United States due to motor vehicle crashes.
Speeding
Speeding is one of the most common causes of motor vehicle collisions in the United States. According to a recent study, 25% of fatal crashes in the United States in 2018 involved unsafe speed or aggressive driving, which amounted to 8,567 fatal crashes and over 9,500 deaths in 2018 alone.
Drivers who speed have less time to react to changing roadway situations, such as another driver suddenly stopping, changing lanes, crossing pedestrians, or inclement weather.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is 100% preventable, yet is responsible for thousands of deaths each year. “Until recent years, distraction meant adjusting a radio, eating a hamburger, or trying to calm crying children in the back seat,” note Westminster car accident lawyers from Ciancio Ciancio Brown, PC. They continue:
“Today’s distraction is much more prevalent and dangerous. Since smartphones became a part of daily life, distracted driving causes an ever-increasing number of accidents.
Texting, scrolling through social media, answering emails, and finding playlists are some examples of cell phone distractions responsible for thousands of accidents every year. Some other causes of distracted driving include applying makeup, grooming hair, adjusting sound equipment, and searching for sunglasses in a purse or glove box.”
Ciancio Ciancio Brown, PC
Distracted driving behaviors can be classified into the following three categories:
- Visual distractions – rubbernecking, looking at your passenger
- Manual distractions – eating, changing the song on the stereo
- Cognitive distractions – daydreaming, arguing with a passenger
Drivers who engage in any or all three of these types of behaviors are at serious risk of causing or contributing to a collision. Distracted driving reduces a drivers ability to proactively respond to driving stimuli and reduces the time a driver has to respond to an imminent threat on the road.
Driving Under the Influence
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 30% of all traffic fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers. Despite laws in every state prohibiting driving under the influence, one person was killed in a drunk driving collision every 45 minutes in the United States in 2020.
The effects of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) vary from person to person, but generally a BAC of 0.02 can start to affect a person’s ability to drive. Decline in visual function, multitasking, reduced coordination, impaired perception and concentration are all predictable effects on driving, according to the NHTSA.
Why is This Important?
Understanding why car “accidents” occur can help deter negative behaviors on American roadways. It can also help drivers identify when another driver on a roadway is driving in a matter that is dangerous, and how to safely move away from the vehicle.
Motor vehicle accidents are responsible for roughly 40,000 deaths every year and thousands of accidents.
Beyond saving lives and preventing the burden of losing a loved one for victims’ families, understanding the common causes of collisions can also help prevent the large financial burden of collisions. According to data from 2018, traffic crash deaths resulted in $55 billion dollars in medical and work loss costs.