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The Numbers Don’t Lie: What Are the 5 Leading Causes of Car Accidents?

The Numbers Don’t Lie: What Are the 5 Leading Causes of Car Accidents?

Motor vehicle accidents happen every day, everywhere around the world, and they don’t discriminate. In the United States alone, there are millions of injuries and tens of thousands of deaths every year. The US has more than double the amount of motor vehicle-related deaths than anywhere in the rest of the world. Why are these crashes so common?

The fact is that there are hundreds of reasons you can get into an accident any time you are in a car. However, there are the 5 leading causes of car accidents and the statistics behind them.

The 5 Main Causes of Motor Vehicle Crashes

1. Distracted driving.

Once almost a non-issue, technology has made distracted driving spike to the top of the list of reasons for car accidents. Distracted driving encompasses any driver who let anything cause him or her to lose their attention on the road. It can include anything from eating to playing with the radio, but more and more lately it is simply due to distraction by phone – either texting or talking. No matter what caused the driver to be distracted, the results can be disastrous.

2. Speeding.

If you ask most people what law they don’t mind breaking, they’ll tell you the speed limit. For the majority of drivers, the speed limit sign is just a suggestion. Many of them believe that going “five over” the limit is even legal. It’s not.

The speed limit is what it is for a reason – studies showed that the surroundings – either the people and places around that area or the type of road itself – could safely handle the speed limit posted and no more than that. Speeding causes car accidents when a driver can’t react in time to avoid an accident or can’t manipulate their car safely for their surroundings. And the faster the car goes, the more severe the injuries in an accident.

3. Drunk driving.

You might be surprised to know that the law against drunk driving was enacted all the way back in 1910, but people still drive under the influence of alcohol every day. In fact, the average drunk driver will get behind the wheel of a car 80 times before they get caught – a staggering and scary statistic for other people on the road. Victims of drunk drivers often head to a car accident lawyer to pursue damages and ensure that the perpetrator does not continue their dangerous actions.

4. Careless driving.

Different than distracted driving, careless driving applies to drivers who speed through the lanes, recklessly changing lanes quickly or tailgating. These types of drivers are often impatient and combine that impatience with road rage, making a very dangerous combination.

5. Inclement weather.

When the weather is bad, it’s best to stay off of the roads, but if you can’t, then you need to drive extremely cautiously. Even then, it’s easy to end up in an accident caused by drivers who lose control of their car in inclement weather.

1 – 5: The Top Leading Car Accident Causes Include Serious Numbers

With millions of injuries caused by car accidents every year and thousands of fatalities, it’s important to know how to avoid them and drive safely. Almost every car accident could have been prevented had the driver been more careful. But “if only’s” are not a usable defense in the courtroom, and personal injury lawsuits from these five car accident causes are still rising every year.

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