Common causes of car crashes
There are roughly 6 million car accidents in the United States each year. In 2015, there was an 8 percent increase in the number of crash fatalities, and there were roughly 40,000 crash fatalities in 2016. However, it may be possible for Illinois residents and others to learn how to avoid being the victim of such an event. It is important to recognize that anyone can get into an accident regardless of his or her perceived skill level behind the wheel.
Based on scientific research, there are six common scenarios that cause accidents to occur. The first such scenario is making a rolling turn at a red light. Accidents happen in this situation because drivers are moving their vehicles to the right while turning their heads to the left, which makes it impossible to see anything coming from the right side. It is believed that 21 percent of fatal crashes occur because a driver fell asleep.
Furthermore, 37 percent of all drivers who have responded to surveys on driving habits have reported falling asleep while driving. This is likely because people are trying to keep up with increasingly busy schedules. Rear-end collisions account for up to 30 percent of all car accidents. Drivers may stay close to the cars in front of them to save time while commuting, but research suggests that it may only save seconds of drive time per day.
If a negligent driver causes someone to be hurt in a car accident, that person may be entitled to compensation, which may pay for medical bills or related costs as well as help to make up for lost wages or future earnings. Negligent behavior may include a failure to stop at a stop sign or red light or falling asleep while operating a vehicle.