It is important to know of and understand the most common causes of motor vehicle accidents so you can hopefully avoid becoming the victim of the negligence of another. Those causes can be summarized as follows:
Driver Behavior
There are common causes involved in most motor vehicle accidents. The leading reason for car crashes is driver behavior, which often underlies most other causes as well. Poor driver behavior takes many forms. Driver fatigue, distraction (changing the radio station, talking on a hand-held cell phone), speeding, aggressive driving and drunk driving all figure in driver behavior. Some studies believe slowing down to look at an accident scene is responsible for up to 16 percent of driver distraction accidents. Many jurisdictions are now permitting only hands-free cell phones while driving in an effort to reduce driver distraction.
Equipment Failure
Equipment failure is cited as a common cause of automobile accidents. Equipment most likely to fail are brakes, tires, steering and suspension. Current vehicles employ modern technology, which has vastly improved on vehicle safety; however, these components still require regular maintenance and inspection.
Roadway Design
Drivers frequently indicate roadway design is at fault for car crashes. Road layouts are carefully planned by engineers to reduce hazards with the use of traffic control devices, one-way streets and signage. Federal and state governments designate certain standards that must be upheld in roadway design.
Roadway Maintenance
Poor maintenance of roadways may be a contributing factor to some crashes. Potholes, obscured signage and debris might have an impact on the likelihood of an accident. Road maintenance is the responsibility of local jurisdictions. No national standards are in place to ensure road maintenance is uniform across the country.
Weather
While motorists often declare weather as the reason for a car crash, it is rarely the culprit. Drivers are responsible for adjusting their driving according to weather conditions. For instance, icy roads are not the cause of an automobile accident; rather, it is the driver driving too fast for the conditions.
Poor driver behavior is not the dominion of any one group of drivers. Men and women of all ages and operating every type of vehicle are equally susceptible to poor driving habits. As well, every owner of a motor vehicle is ultimately responsible for the vehicle’s maintenance and repair.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car crash, consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney is advised to safeguard your rights and obtain appropriate compensation for injuries and losses.
Attorney Richard Hastings, for the past two and one half decades, has been helping injured clients and families collect millions of dollars in losses ranging from motor vehicle accidents to wrongful death, to medical malpractice.
Selectcounsel, LLC is a FREE national service that helps people with serious personal injury and medical malpractice cases find one of the best lawyers in their area to represent them. The lawyers we recommend are independently rated by attorneys and judges as being among the very best in their field of practice. Visit us at http://selectcounsel.com/ to see how we can help you find one of the best lawyers for your case.
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