CAUSES OF HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS
Motor vehicle accidents on California highways that can be attributed to negligence have multiple causes, but among the most frequent are distracted driving, drunk driving, fatigued driving, speeding, aggressive driving, defective vehicles and components, and unsafe road conditions.
DISTRACTED DRIVING ACCIDENTS
Californians seem to always be on the run, and with so much to do and so little time to do it, many are in the habit of multitasking. While multitasking may work at the office, it can be deadly on the highways. A person driving a car should only be driving the car, with attention fully focused on the road and those sharing it. Performing other activities while behind the wheel is distracted driving, and a recipe for disaster on the road. Distracted driving is among the leading causes of car accidents in California and the nation.
Distracted driving includes various activities that cause the driver to look away from the road: at the top of the list of the most dangerous distractions is texting, followed by talking on a cell phone, rubbernecking, changing the station or volume on the radio, selecting or inserting a CD, eating or drinking, personal grooming, setting the GPS, reading, disciplining children, handling pets, retrieving fallen objects, and conversing with passengers are some of the ways drivers become distracted behind the wheel and cause accidents.
Using a hand-held electronic device increases the likelihood of getting into a car accident by four times. Texting increases the probability of a crash by a whopping 23 times. A driver who is distracted may drift out of the correct lane and into the path of a car coming from the opposite direction, may neglect to signal or check blind spots when changing lanes, turn the wrong way onto a one way street, enter a highway ramp going in the wrong direction, ignore a traffic signal, or fail to notice a bicyclist or pedestrian on the road or shoulder. Even a few seconds of diverting one’s attention from the road at a high speed can cause a serious collision.
Using a hand-held electronic device increases the likelihood of getting into a car accident by four times. Texting increases the probability of a crash by a whopping 23 times. A driver who is distracted may drift out of the correct lane and into the path of a car coming from the opposite direction, may neglect to signal or check blind spots when changing lanes, turn the wrong way onto a one way street, enter a highway ramp going in the wrong direction, ignore a traffic signal, or fail to notice a bicyclist or pedestrian on the road or shoulder. Even a few seconds of diverting one’s attention from the road at a high speed can cause a serious collision.
AGGRESSIVE DRIVING AND SPEEDING
Driving significantly above the posted speed limit increases the likelihood of losing control of the car, and it also increases the energy of the impact when the car crashes, making death or catastrophic injuries more likely. Speeding contributes to one of every three highway accidents. High speed driving is often aggressive driving. Aggressive drivers may weave in and out of traffic, cutting others off or zooming up on other vehicles from the rear and tailgating in their impatience. They may engage in angry and rude behavior, using obscene gestures and yelling profanities, failing to signal, and staying more focused on their road rage than road safety. Excessively fast driving, and aggressive driving is reckless, and when it causes an accident and someone is hurt or killed, the at-fault driver may be liable to the victim for damages sustained in the wreck.
DRUNK OR DRUG IMPAIRED DRIVING
According to figures from (NHTSA), alcohol and drug use—including recreational, prescription, and over-the-counter medications—are incompatible with driving and cause untold suffering to victims of the many serious accidents caused by drunk or impaired drivers. Drunk driving crashes killed 10,322 people across the nation in 2012, according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That comes to about one person every 51 minutes on the average. MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) reports that the cost of alcohol-related crashes is more than $132 billion per year.
DANGEROUS ROAD CONDITIONS
Various dangerous conditions on the road can cause crashes to occur. These may be the fault of a construction company doing work on the road, the government agency responsible for road maintenance, a truck that has dropped cargo or has left tire treads on the pavement after a blowout.
- Objects on the road
- Absence of signs or confusing signs
- Poor road design
- Unsafe construction area
- Objects or debris on the road
- Detached treads (“road alligators”)
- Potholes
- Lack of a level shoulder
- Pooled water
- Ice and snow
- Black ice
- Winding roads without lane divisions or pavement markings
- Ruts, cracks, depressions, or uneven pavement
As an accident victim, you’re entitled to make a claim for compensation for your injuries against the person who caused the hazardous road condition or failed to either repair it or post warnings. But road hazard cases are especially difficult, because they often necessitate the sorting out of complex issues, including government immunity, causation, and civil engineering. You should discuss your case with a San Luis Obispo car accident attorney who has considerable experience in handling dangerous road condition cases.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO FOLLOWING A CALIFORNIA CAR ACCIDENT
When you’ve just been in an accident, you may feel shaken and confused, so it may take a couple of minutes to get your bearings. If you’re able to stand and move around, there are steps you can take to ensure that you are able to recover compensation for any injuries or damages you may have incurred. But first, consider your safety and that of those around you.
- Check to see if anyone has been seriously injured and needs an ambulance. If so, call 911. Others should get as far off the road as possible, away from traffic.
- Call the police to report the accident.
- Take photos of the accident scene, showing the damage to your vehicle and the others involved.
- Make note of the plate numbers of all vehicles.
- Exchange insurance information and driver’s license numbers with all drivers.
- Do not apologize.
- Do not discuss your physical condition with anyone, including other drivers and police.
- Do not talk to anyone about who caused the accident.
- Get the name and badge number of the police officer who arrives at the scene. Ask for the police report number and instructions for obtaining a copy.
- Report the accident to your insurance company without providing details other than date, time, and location.
- Get medical attention as soon as possible. You need to be checked out, even if you are not sure that you’re injured. Tell the doctor you were just in a car accident. Some injuries don’t
- become obvious right away, so you may need to return for follow-up treatment.
- Follow your doctor’s instructions exactly and keep all follow-up appointments.
- Call the law office of car accident attorney Jude Basile in San Luis Obispo and make an appointment.
- Do not engage with any insurance adjuster. Do not give a recorded statement. Do not sign anything. Refer the adjuster to your attorney.
