What are the Main Causes of Car Accidents in the United States?

Car accidents have many unique causes. Far too often, car accidents are the result of driver negligence. When a driver’s negligence causes a collision that results in a victim’s injury, the negligent driver is liable for the victim’s resulting damages.

Below are three of the primary causes of car accidents in the United States. If you are injured in an accident, documentation of how the driver caused the accident through negligence is key to your claim’s success. Your lawyer can help you obtain and use evidence to support your claim.

Speeding

Speed limits are put into place for a reason. When civil engineers design roadways, they determine safe speed limits for the drivers using them. Driving fast gives the driver less time to react to hazards in the roadway as well as features like turns and sudden stops, and when he or she drives in excess of the posted speed limit, his or her risk of being involved in a collision increases.

Drunk Driving

In the United States, it is illegal for an individual to drive if his or her blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08 percent or higher. For drivers under 21, the limit is 0.01 percent and for individuals driving commercial vehicles, the limit is 0.04 percent. When an individual drives while his or her BAC is above the legal limit, he or she faces a driving while intoxicated (DWI) charge.

Alcohol impairs a driver’s perception, judgment, and reaction time. These impairments make it very easy for a driver to collide with another vehicle or a stationary object, potentially causing a victim’s injury or death.

Distracted Driving

Today, drivers are more distracted than ever. Cell phones and onboard navigation systems have made it tempting and easy for drivers to engage in dangerous behaviors behind the wheel like text messaging and manipulating a GPS. Distracted driving takes the driver’s eyes off the road, his or her hands off the wheel, and his or her attention off the task of driving, sometimes for up to five seconds at a time. It might not sound like a long time, but at a high speed, five seconds is plenty of time to cause a serious collision.

Work with an Experienced Chicago Auto Accident Lawyer

If you were injured in a collision caused by driver negligence, you have the right to pursue monetary compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim. To learn more about pursuing this type of compensation, contact our team of experienced personal injury lawyers at Mossing & Navarre, LLC today to schedule your free consultation with us.