What Are Some Common Reasons for Car Accidents in Thousand Oaks?
If you have recently been in a car accident, you may believe that your situation is an exception when the reality is that car accidents are extremely common and result in thousands of injuries and deaths every year.
A car accident attorney in Thousand Oaks can help you understand your legal rights and how to fight to get the compensation you deserve while giving you the time to focus on recovering your health. Here are some of the most common reasons why car accidents happen in Thousand Oaks.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving covers many actions taken by people while they are behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. These may include eating and drinking, bending down to pick something off the floor, turning the dial on the radio to find the perfect station, setting the GPS, turning to the back to see what the kids are doing, and more. However, the largest culprit of distracted driving has to do with today’s technology and it involves people and their cell phones. This means they might be sending text messages, emailing, looking at their social media, answering calls, or just scrolling.
Drunk Driving
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs has been a large concern for decades. Even though distracted driving now takes first place, drunk and drugged driving is not too far behind. If you are going to a social situation in which alcohol will be served, make sure to designate a driver who will remain sober and drive you safely home.
Reckless Driving and Road Rage
It seems as though people are always running late to important appointments or they simply like the feeling of driving fast. Whatever the reason, speeding is responsible for plenty of car accidents. When speeding is involved, the accidents tend to be much more catastrophic and the injuries more severe as well.
Added to speeding, road rage seems like an epidemic with drivers not respecting those around them and looking to provoke other drivers with their anger.
Fatigue
There are many situations in which people might find themselves driving while being tired or dizzy. Instead of putting off the trip until they are more rested and better able to handle road conditions, they get behind the wheel and endanger all those around them. In many cases, these are commercial truck drivers who must get to their destination to deliver their cargo at a specified time.
Disregarding Traffic Signs
Traffic signs are there for a reason and their purpose is to prevent accidents and make the roads safer for all those who share them. Unfortunately, many accidents happen when people are not paying attention to traffic signs. Besides distracted driving or fatigue, bad weather also plays a role in people missing a stop sign or red light. Wet roads are also responsible for people sliding through intersections and hitting other vehicles as is debris on the road or poor paving. Be on the lookout for these possibilities when the weather is bad.