A Dallas attorney who handles personal injury cases knows that most vehicle collisions could have been prevented. In that sense, these incidents are not truly accidents, even though one driver did not intend to cause a collision. That driver behaved recklessly or carelessly. Nevertheless, the driver’s automotive insurance company may try to undermine any claim made by someone who was injured in this collision. Insurers naturally want to pay out as low an amount as possible.
Human Error
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a full 94 percent of vehicle crashes are caused by human error. This may happen because the driver is fatigued, sleepy, inattentive, distracted or intoxicated. Driving faster than the speed limit is unsafe and so is speeding up to get through a yellow light. Collisions happen when one driver follows another too closely. Many individuals cause collisions when they drive too fast for the weather conditions.
A public awareness campaign has been making an effort to educate people about why the word accident is inappropriate for most vehicle crashes. The word tends to reduce or eliminate the idea of responsibility for the driver at fault. It doesn’t make clear that the incident was fully preventable if only the driver would have behaved differently.
A Particular Problem
A high percentage of traffic collisions are caused by distracted driving. More attention tends to be given to those caused by intoxication because drunk drivers cause so many serious and even fatal collisions. Distracted driving of any sort is a serious and prevalent problem, though. Texting while driving has increased the rate that these crashes occur, but many other behaviors are implicated. Eating messy food, trying to unwrap a candy bar, and looking away from the road for any reason are examples.
Concluding Thoughts
Indulging in risky driving habits is very tempting for some men and women, but it certainly can be avoided with some self-discipline. Not drinking alcohol before driving, obeying the speed limit, and being cautious during bad weather are important measures for reducing risks. All drivers should keep their eyes and their mind on the road and the traffic when they are behind the wheel.