What is the #1 Cause of Car Accidents in the USA?

Car accidents are an unfortunate fact of life on American roads. Thousands of vehicular accidents occur on a daily basis; some of them are minor fender benders where no one gets hurt, some of them are huge, multi-car pile ups, and most are somewhere in between. These accidents can be caused by many different reasons from careless driving to poor weather to equipment failure, but no matter the cause of the accident, the accident victim will need to pay for the expenses caused by the accident.

In most cases, insurance will take care of at least some of those costs, but if the accident was caused by a negligent driver, then the insurance company of that driver is the one that has to pay the expenses of the victim. That payment is called compensation and a personal injury lawyer gives the victim the best chance of receiving that compensation. That is why victims of car accidents should contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as they can after the accident.

The Main Causes of Car Accidents

There are many different reasons why car accidents occur, but the main ones are as follows:

Distracted Driving - This is the number one cause of car accidents and it is easy to see why since there are a number of different kinds of distractions available to drivers. Eating, personal grooming, fiddling with the dashboard, talking to passengers, and texting while driving are just some of the behaviours that could cause a driver to get distracted and get into an accident.
Speeding - This will not come as a surprise to most because a speeding driver has less time to react to dangers in the road. There is also the fact that a car traveling at high speeds has the potential to cause more damage.
Drunk Driving - This is an extremely irresponsible kind of behaviour that is responsible for a high number of car accidents every year. A drunk driver has poor reaction times and exhibits poor judgement, the combination of which is highly likely to cause an accident.
Reckless Driving - This is when a driver ignores traffic signals, cuts off other motorists, tailgates, or performs other types of irresponsible behaviour. They put other motorists in danger because they might find it difficult to react in time to the behaviour of the reckless driver.
Drowsy Driving - A tired driver is a dangerous driver because they could fall asleep at the wheel and end up crashing into another vehicle.
Inclement Weather - Not every accident is caused by driver error or driver irresponsibility, some of them are caused by poor weather conditions like rain, sleet, or snow. Those conditions can cause poor visibility and slippery roads, which could both lead to accidents.
Equipment Failure - This is not as common as the other causes, but it can happen. Tire blowouts or brake failures can cause the vehicle to lose control, which increases the chance of an accident occurring.

Contact an Attorney If You Were in a Car Accident

No matter the reason for a car accident, it is always capable of causing a lot of expensive damages to the driver and their vehicle. But if the accident was caused by another driver’s negligence, then the victim does not have to pay those expenses out of pocket. They should hire a personal injury attorney to help them get the compensation that they need. The attorney can help the victim file an injury claim, negotiate with the insurance company of the responsible driver, and more. So be sure to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after you have been in a car accident.