Causes of Automobile Accidents

A car accident is often a traumatic incident for everyone involved. While some accidents are unavoidable, there are many precautions you can take to decrease the likelihood of your having to enlist an auto accident attorney, let alone dealing with possible injuries. Here are some of the things you should stay away from if you want to drive as safely as possible.

Texting has become a huge problem for those on the road. Because people are so attached to their phones now, it seems natural to continue texting while behind the wheel, but this is an extremely dangerous activity. Your eyes should be on the road at all times, and they simply can’t be if you keep glancing at your phone and typing out messages. The easiest way to avoid this issue is to leave the phone at home or keep it turned off. Even just talking on the cell phone while driving is unsafe, so resist the temptation. In addition, many states have laws on the books that make texting and talking while driving an offense that can be punished; if nothing else, it is a good idea to avoid the liability that comes with using your phone while driving, as it can contribute to a decision of fault in the case of an accident.

If possible, try not to drive with obnoxious passengers. Of course, this is not an issue that is entirely within your control, especially if you are a parent and the unruly ones are your kids. However, the more noisy and raucous your passengers are, the more likely it is that you will be distracted and miss something important on the road. If you must drive with others who are inclined to be disruptive, find ways to encourage good behavior and learn how to tune out the chatter. In the case of driving with your children as passengers, try to provide them with stimulating activities that will take up their attention during the trip, so that they do not become bored and unruly.

Any auto accident attorney can tell you that one of the most serious issues when it comes to safe driving is drinking alcohol. Despite the wide awareness of how dangerous it is to drive while under the influence, many people still do it. If you go someplace where you plan to drink, make sure that you have a designated drive or another exit strategy. For instance, have a friend drop you off at the bar and then plan to take a cab home. If your senses are impaired, you should not be driving. Even if you are not over the legal limit, your ability to accurately judge conditions around you that are important to driving safely can become compromised. And of course if you are involved in an accident while impaired, there can be even greater consequences than are typically found in car accident cases, which can seriously restrict your ability to receive compensation for injuries or damage to your own vehicle.

Finally, one of the greatest hazards in driving is doing so without a seatbelt. This strap may seem like a nuisance, leading many people to not bother with it, but it can save lives. Many people who walk away from car accidents with minor injuries learn from their doctor that they probably would have been seriously injured or killed had they not been strapped in. When this simple action that causes minimal discomfort is so capable of protecting a person from catastrophic injury, it’s sheer foolishness not to take advantage of it. Buckle up as soon as you get in the car. Additionally, do what you can to ensure that others who are riding with you use their seatbelts as well. While it may not be as easy to enforce with adult passengers as with children, try to establish firm rules for your car if it is possible and refuse to provide individuals with a ride if they will not keep their seatbelt fastened.

There are many other issues that contribute to damages and injuries in car accidents, but this list contains four of the most common ones. If you have questions about other ways to avoid an accident, get in touch with a local driver instruction program; they frequently have information available for drivers of all levels of experience that is helpful. Be vigilant in keeping yourself safe when you are on the road. If you do get into an accident, make sure to retain the services of an attorney to assist in your claims.

Cars with The Most Accidents (or accident injuries)

You can attribute it to bad luck, poor performance, or simple carelessness on the part of drivers. Whichever way you characterize it there is no getting around the numbers. Statistically, there are some cars that are more accident-prone than others. According to personal injury claims taken over a period of two years, there are cars that just seem to present a greater risk for being involved in accidents. Among the factors thought to be responsible are the frequency of driving, the number of drivers operating the vehicle, and the tendency of owners to live in urban areas where there are high levels of traffic.

The Yaris

The smallest of the cars manufactured by Toyota, the Yaris tops the list in accident reports. For every 1,000 insured vehicles on the road, 28.5 of the claims belong to owners of this compact car. This number is twice the average figure reported for other cars in the same class of vehicles. The 2009 and 2011 models do receive good reports when it comes to agility on the road, however. It is possible that the manufacturers have been working to improve some of the traits of the car that make it more prone to accidents. It is certainly worth looking into recent reports if you are interested in purchasing the car, and seeing what factors leading to its bad reputation can be negated by vigilance and safe habits on your own part.

The SX4

Suzuki finishes neck in neck with the Yaris. When the accident reports for this vehicle are analyzed, the number of personal injury claims is exceedingly high. The extremely compact design of the vehicle makes it dramatically more likely that passengers will experience injury during a crash. It does feature adequate safety features, but drivers simply cannot safely withstand an impact with larger vehicles on the road. It is an important distinction; while safety features can certainly be helpful, when purchasing a car, the design and its ability to withstand an accident are an important consideration. Particularly if you have children, it is an excellent idea to avoid cars that are going to be a liability in the actual event of accident, even if those cars have a plenitude of features for avoiding them.

The Aveo

The Aveo and its counterpart, the Aveo Wagon, both rank high on the list of accident reports as well. Despite its propensity for collisions, the safety-test ratings of this car are fair. There are fewer injuries reported with every accident claim that is filed. Both side-impact ratings and frontal crash-test results earned the Aveo a rating of “acceptable.” The problem with these evaluations is the fact that they are typically being derived from collisions with another vehicle of a similar size, leaving drivers at a serious disadvantage when it comes to real-world situations. Several studies have demonstrated that larger, sometimes heavier cars do more damage (understandably) to smaller cars due to the fact that their greater mass increases the force with which they strike in collisions.

The Galant

Mitsubishi has recently been climbing the automotive ladder in terms of performance and safety. However, they seemed to have missed a rung when they released the Galant. This car is renowned for its affordability. Unfortunately, it seems that the lower sticker price has come at the expensive of safety.

Many of these cars do not seem to possess any specific problems that are common to all of the models considered. However, these numbers are real trends based on facts that the companies should not ignore. It is entirely possible that other factors are in play, such as the behavior of the types of drivers who tend to purchase these cars; however, anything that can be done to avoid an additional risk is certainly a good idea when shopping for a new car. Drivers who are involved in accidents also should not be ignoring these facts. The full extent of the risk to drivers can properly be assessed by an auto accident attorney. Additionally, the accident reports and claims of personal injury were not always quickly resolved by insurance companies in the majority of cases analyzed. In order to avoid having this situation occur in your life, put an auto accident attorney on your side in order to tip the scales back into balance. An attorney will be able to help you if an accident should occur—they have the expertise to assist in getting you the best possible compensation.

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