Car accidents may lead to several scenarios that have dire consequences, including loss of life, permanent injuries, loss of earnings, just to mention but a few. It is critical to do everything in your power to avoid causing a car accident or to be involved in one. At Las Vegas Personal Injury Attorney Law Firm, we would make you understand some of the significant causes of car accidents on our roads.
Most causes of automobile accidents may seem obvious to most experienced drivers, and this article aims to reach all drivers at different driving levels. Learning the causes of road accidents is essential to every driver, whether you are a teen driver who has just obtained your driving license or have been driving for the last 35 years. This article aims to educate you on the top causes of vehicle accidents.
Over Speeding
If you are keen on most highways, you will notice that most drivers drive at very high speeds, ignoring those areas’ speed limits. One reason speeding causes car accidents is that the reaction time needed to prevent accidents is very slow at high speed. You will notice that when you drive your car at high speed, the collision force to the human body will be very significant, leading to severe bodily injuries if you are involved in an accident.
According to NHTSA, almost 30% of road accidents are due to speeding leading to an economic cost of $28 billion per annum. You should note that speeding is a deliberate act by the driver who, in most cases, is aware of the repercussions but chooses to ignore them. You will agree that driving at 100mph can be dangerous and will likely cause a gruesome road accident. It will be disastrous to drive even five mph in a given area, like in a residential estate.
For example, if you drive at 35mph in a residential area where the recommended speed is 30mph. If you come across a pedestrian walking into a crosswalk that is 50 feet away, you may not have enough time to avoid hitting the pedestrian. This accident may cause severe bodily injuries. Now, if you have driven at the recommended speed of 30mph, you will have enough time to avoid hitting the pedestrian.
You can also cause a severe road accident while overspeeding since it will be challenging to pick out most of the road signs at high speeds. If you are driving in an area that you have never been to before, you can fail to lower your speed limit since you didn't have ample time to pick a road sign indicating a different speed limit. Sometimes, at very high speeds, you may not pick a road sign indicating a sharp bend ahead, leading to a head-on collision with an oncoming vehicle.
Overspeeding in unfamiliar roads is a sure way of causing an accident as you do not know when an oncoming vehicle may creep up on you from the other side of the road, especially in areas with mountains.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is one of the significant causes of road accidents in Nevada. Distracted driving plays a vital role in automobile accidents as 65% of most accidents causing or near accidents are due to distracted drivers. According to NHTSA, most severe road accidents occur due to one form of distraction some seconds before the accident occurs.
Some of the most causes of distracted driving are due to:
Being on your Cell Phone while Driving
You are using your phone while driving can distract you to the extent of causing a road accident. According to research carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, you will increase your chances of causing an automobile road accident by 2.8 times while you dial your phone while driving and 1.3 times when you talk on your phone. You can install a voice-activated system in your car, which is safer than Bluetooth or a headset.
Distracted Driving by not Paying Full Attention to the Road
To avoid causing accidents on the road, you will need to pay full attention to the road as you drive. If you take your eyes off the road, you may end up in a severe accident, even for a small amount of time. This distraction may come in the form of changing the radio station. When your attention is diverted from the road, you can cause an accident leading to significant bodily injuries and sometimes even wrongful death.
Teen Drivers are Prone to Distraction while Driving
Teen drivers are prone to distraction more than other drivers on the road, and they will use their cell phones more often than other drivers, thereby increasing their chances of causing car accidents. The level of distraction in teen drivers combined with their road inexperience raises their chances of causing automobile accidents. Other forms of distractions found in most teen drivers are eating while driving, most teens are still in their growing stage, and they may not pay full attention to the roads they open food and snack packages as they drive.
Text Messaging While Driving
When you start texting while driving, you will have diverted your attention from the road to concentrate on your texting, and this may lead to a severe road accident. It is crucial to avoid texting as you drive, and if it is a must to send that text, you must pull over and send your text.
Reckless Driving
Reckless driving occurs when a driver shows a total disregard of the rules applied to road users. This means a reckless driver not only puts themselves at risk but involves other road users as well. If you are convicted for reckless driving, you will have your driver’s license suspended or revoked, pay hefty fines, and sometimes be incarcerated.
Reckless driving involves several traffic violations like driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, drunk driving, running a stop sign, and ignoring other traffic signs. If you commit one traffic violation, you will not face charges for reckless driving but face when facing a combination of these traffic violations.
Speeding alone cannot qualify for reckless driving, but a traffic officer can charge you with reckless driving when you drive at extremely high speeds. There are several factors that a traffic officer will consider while charging you with a reckless driving charge while you are only speeding. These factors include:
- The time.
- How busy the road is.
- The width of the road.
- Visibility conditions.
- Traffic conditions.
- Presence of other road users like pedestrians.
Driving at Night
Driving at night contributes to most car accidents as most drivers lose their ability to see well at night. You will realize that the ability to see and perceive distance is enabled by light at night when the lighting is not great; this ability is significantly reduced, making it difficult for most road users to perceive distances well. If you must drive at night, it is advisable to be extra careful to avoid causing road accidents.
You will note that more than 40% of road accidents occur at night as the light is minimum at this time. Though there are many artificial sources of light on most roads, accidents still happen due to the changing brightness of these lights. If you are driving along a well-lit route and then turn to one that doesn’t have good lighting, you may cause an accident before your eyes adjust to the level of light on the road. Also, if another driver has their headlights brightly lit, they may cause you to cause accidents since your eyes need some time to adjust to the bright lights.
Another cause of any night accident is more drunk drivers at night than during the day. This means that you will need to be more careful as you drive to avoid drunk drivers who may lose control of their vehicles. Other drivers may be drowsy after moving over long distances. If you have been going and feel sleepy, it is advisable to pull over and take a break from driving. You can pull over in a secure place and take a break or call it a night. Another way to avoid drowsiness as you drive is to open your car’s windows to receive some fresh air.
Some other ways that night driving can lead to a catastrophic accident is when your dashboard light is set high. This brightness will make it difficult to see well at night and may lead you to cause an accident. When you use a shallow beam of light that doesn't allow you to see at a distance of 160 feet away, you will be prone to causing an accident as you will not have ample time and space to stop if the vehicle ahead of you abruptly stops.
Driving at night will negatively affect your sight, and this may lead to an accident, especially when you do not pay close attention to the road. Another minor detail that may lead you to cause a road accident is driving a car with a dirty windscreen and windows as the dirt may increase the glare from oncoming vehicles making you lose control of your vehicle.
Changing Lanes Without Checking
Sometimes you can mistakenly change lanes without checking if there is a car on the other street, and before you know it, you are involved in an accident. Another way you can cause an accident is when you change a lane without letting other road users know by signaling. You will be charged with unsafe lane changing when you change lanes quickly due to the road conditions or when you force the car following you to break to make room for you.
When you do not use your car’s mirrors to check and ensure that there is nobody in your blind spot before changing lanes, you may cause an accident to take place due to this negligence. By not taking your time to check that the traffic conditions are conducive to street changing, you will be endangering other road users by increasing your chances of causing a road accident. Another way that lane changing may lead you to cause an accident is when you speed to change lanes on time or change several lanes at once.
You will realize that your chances of causing a road accident while changing lanes increases when you do not let other road users know you intend to change lanes. An accident could happen after failing to put your blinkers on, by cutting other drivers off as you change lanes, or when you change a lane before passing a traffic light. Changing lanes accidents can be gruesome as they might involve several vehicles at one time. This can occur when you change lanes anywhere without checking if dashed lines or solid lines separate the lane. If you change lanes where solid lines separate them, you will increase the number of road accidents.
Not Stopping on Red Lights
When you are driving, you are supposed to observe all traffic lights, and red means you have to stop. If you do not control, you may cause car accidents as other drivers may be green, leading to a collision. Most drivers who run or do not stop at red lights risk facing wrongful death charges as they cause most side-impact accidents at very high speeds. To avoid being in such a scenario, you must always look at all vehicles while approaching any traffic green light.
Ignoring Road Stop Signs
While using any road, you should be careful never to ignore a stop sign. Ignoring stop signs may lead to car accidents with severe consequences. Most accidents occur due to one driver running a stop sign, and this calls for you to always check both sides before proceeding in a stop sign.
Tailgating
Tailgating leads to most of the road accidents on most of the highways in Nevada. Tailgating takes place when you drive your car too close to the vehicle ahead of you. When you do this, you decrease your reaction time if the driver ahead of you suddenly stops. This may lead to severe accidents when you lose control of your car and end up slamming into the rear bumper of the other vehicle. Sometimes, tailgating can lead to chain accidents with several cars involved.
When driving a significant highway where there are larger vehicles and motorcycles, you will need to be extra careful as the distance between your car and them may contribute significantly to a road accident. If you drive too close to a motorcycle or a large vehicle, you may end up tailgating it as it needs a greater distance to stop. If you are driving during bad weather, you may cause an accident if you do not ensure a great distance between your car and that ahead of you. You will realize that rain, fog, sleet, and snow are lousy weather elements that will decrease your car’s traction.
With lousy weather elements reducing your vehicle's traction, your chances of skidding or slipping are very high, which may cause your car into an accident, primarily if you had not maintained some distance with the vehicle ahead of you. Sometimes the road conditions may be ideal, but you will still have to put some distance between your car and that of the car ahead as failure to do so may lead you to cause a road accident.
When you do not give yourself ample time to follow the vehicle ahead of through a road sign, you may end up tailgating that vehicle if it stops suddenly. Following the car ahead of you too closely when it passes a road sign, especially during bad weather, is a sure way to cause a road accident. Tailgating is one of the easiest ways to generate a road accident, and you should always drive cautiously and ensure to leave ample distance between your car and that of the vehicle in front of you.
Contact a Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me
You will realize that causing a gruesome road accident doesn’t take much but inattention while using the road. No matter how careful you might think your driving is, you may take your attention briefly from the road, and boom, you have caused an accident that may have serious repercussions, even a wrongful death charge. When you cause an accident on our significant highways or any other roads, you must stop and make a report with the area law enforcement.
You should also ensure that you contact our Las Vegas Personal Injury Attorney Law Firm attorneys immediately, who will guide you on the necessary steps, including consulting with your insurance providers. Our law firm is primarily geared to helping automobile accidents. We take pride in guiding our clients on avoiding causing road accidents and avoiding unnecessary lawsuits. For more information on avoiding causing road accidents, and if you have already caused one, contact our attorneys at 702-996-1224, and we will assist you accordingly.
