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Every year, there are over 2.2 million drivers and their passengers in the emergency rooms of America’s hospitals. The causes of these car crashes vary, but speeding, drinking, and driving are some of the significant causes of car accidents annually. Car accidents contribute to a significant number of preventable deaths in the United States each year.
In 2016, unintentional injury was one of the significant causes of death in the United States, with car accidents dominating the statistics for unintentional injury. In 2019, there were over 36 thousand deaths from car accidents in the United States. For drinking and driving in the same year, 10,142 Americans died (one American every 52 minutes).
In California, there were 3,606 fatalities on the roads in 2019 and hundreds of thousands of injuries. Understanding what causes these accidents can help prevent them, and it is the foundation of every vehicle code in the United States.
If you have been in a crash, you may be able to file a claim for your losses, including property damage, medical costs, lost wages, and other related expenses. If a loved one was injured or passed away, certain family members may be allowed to file a claim on their behalf, such as in a wrongful death case. Eligibility depends on California law and the specific circumstances.
At Arash Law, we have a team of experienced car accident lawyers who have helped our clients pursue legal claims against the at-fault parties. Contact our California car accident victims’ attorneys at (888) 488-1391 to schedule a free initial consultation.
Common Causes Of Car Accidents
The statistics are consistent from year to year. Speeding and drunk driving are among the common causes of car accidents all across America. There are other causes of car accidents that have led to the enactment of motor vehicle laws aimed at saving lives.
Some of the other common causes of car accidents include:
- Distracted driving.
- Drunk driving.
- Speeding.
- Reckless and aggressive driving.
- Improper use of seatbelts, helmets, or child restraints.
- Fatigue.
- Weather and road conditions.
- Vehicle defects.
While drunk (or impaired) driving and speeding can take lives on the road, this fact does not negate the serious impacts of the other causes of car accidents. Every human life is important. Laws have been made to help avoid these tragedies.
Every driver has the responsibility to avoid the errors in judgment that can result in unintentional injuries. If you were injured, you may be able to file a claim for your losses. Family members may have the right to file in certain injury or wrongful death cases.
Speeding
Speeding is one of the common causes of car crashes every year. In some years, it takes more lives than drinking and driving. Even experienced drivers occasionally speed, especially when they are late for work, held up in traffic, or simply feel like doing so because the weather is good and they feel it’s safe.
In 2016, speeding killed 3,623 people in California and 9,478 in 2019. Life gets busy, and it manifests in danger on the roads.
Impaired Driving
There are approximately 28 Americans who die on the roads due to impaired driving every day. That is the equivalent of one person every 52 minutes. In California in 2016, 1,059 people were killed in alcohol-related collisions. Ten thousand people die annually in drunk driving crashes, which is a higher rate than in any other state.
In California, the laws against impaired driving are severe. Impaired driving could result in fines and jail time for the state. Drivers can also be held responsible for the resulting damage to the victims in accidents. Drivers can be held financially responsible for medical costs, lost wages, mental anguish, and pain & suffering, depending on the circumstances.
There is an average of ten thousand Americans killed annually in car crashes. In California in 2016, 3,623 people died in traffic-related accidents, and 1,059 were alcohol-related. That makes 1 in 3 fatal crashes in California caused by drunk driving.
Of those crashes, hundreds of thousands of injuries occur in California every year. A high rate of these crashes occurs in Trinity County, Modoc County, Mendocino County, Plumas County, and Calaveras. Impaired driving is dangerous because substances such as alcohol and drugs can slow reaction times, impair judgment, and reduce coordination, increasing the risk of accidents.
When alcohol, prescription medication, or illegal substances cross the blood-brain barrier, everything about how a person thinks is impacted. With impaired driving, every facet of an individual’s body is affected, and this impacts their driving skills because we use our entire body to drive.
The following effects on the body are in play when someone is driving under the influence of substances:
- Reaction Time — An impaired driver does not have the same reflexes that a sober one does.
- Coordination — Drivers can have a difficult time keeping their feet and limbs smooth and coordinated when they are impaired.
- Vision — Every driver must have good vision to drive as required by law. Vision becomes blurred, and eye muscle function decreases when impaired.
- Comprehension — Impaired drivers are unable to understand enough to make quick judgment calls.
- Concentration — Staying focused is difficult when impaired.
Impaired driving reduces a person’s ability to operate a vehicle safely, increasing the risk of accidents, injuries, and fatalities on the roads each year. If you were injured because of someone else’s impaired driving, you may have legal options to pursue compensation for your losses. Call our DUI accident attorneys at Arash Law at (888) 488-1391 for a free case review.
Seatbelt Accidents
Seatbelt accidents are another area of road safety that the law takes very seriously. When a car accident occurs, a police investigation team often assesses every facet of the accident to determine fault, which helps identify common causes of car accidents.
The same investigations provide us with information, such as the effectiveness of child restraints and motorcycle helmets, in preventing injuries. Not wearing a seatbelt is a common occurrence, but so is the impact of seatbelts on saving lives. The lives of 14,955 vehicle occupants were saved due to the use of seatbelts in 2017.
In the same year, 325 children were saved by child restraints and proper seating, and 1,872 motorcycle riders are still alive as a result of the right helmet laws. In that same year, 2,549 people died because they did not wear seat belts, and 749 motorcycle riders did not survive a crash because they didn’t wear a helmet. Currently, in California, mandatory seatbelt laws are in effect to save lives. With that said, failure to wear a seatbelt remains a common factor in many fatal accidents.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a commonly spoken-about problem on the roads. It is also one of the ten common causes of car crashes. The reason that distraction is a problem on the roads is that, although the brain can multitask, it can be challenging to do so when a task requires immediate reaction time.
It is physically impossible to see a truck coming at you at the same time that you are looking at a phone. The California Vehicle Code imposes fines for those who text and drive, with penalties ranging from $20 to $50. For drivers involved in an accident that causes injuries, the costs can be substantial for the rest of their lives and may result in jail in some cases.
There are other kinds of distracted driving, including:
- Rubbernecking, such as when drivers turn to look at other things on the road.
- Music or noise in the car, such as passengers being loud.
- Eating.
- Checking hair and makeup.
- Sunlight glare or nighttime high beams.
- Daydreaming or worrying about problems.
Drowsy Driving
Drowsy driving is another common cause of car crashes, occurring when an individual operates a motor vehicle despite being too tired to do so safely. It can often be an honest mistake, but many professionals will say that drowsy driving is the equivalent of impaired driving, as someone with insufficient sleep doesn’t realize they are too tired to operate the vehicle until it is too late.
In 2017, 795 people died in drowsy driving crashes. We can’t know what the drivers who caused the crashes were thinking when they got behind the wheel, but they probably didn’t want those crashes to happen. Although drowsy driving crashes are often caused by truck drivers and shift workers, they can happen to anyone.
Reach Out To Our California Car Crash Attorneys
If you or someone you love has been in a car accident, a personal injury lawyer can help you navigate the legal process. Our car accident attorneys in California have years of experience assisting clients in pursuing accountability against the at-fault parties, working to help with the documentation and collection of evidence to support their claim. At Arash Law, we are committed to advocating for the rights and representing the interests of our clients, whether through negotiations or litigation.
Depending on the specific circumstances of your case, you may be able to seek compensation for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other related losses. In cases involving fatalities, surviving family members may have grounds for a wrongful death claim, subject to eligibility. If you have been a victim of a car accident, call our California car crash attorneys at Arash Law at (888) 488-1391 or complete our “Do I Have A Case?” form here to schedule a free initial consultation.
