Car Accidents

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Distracted Driving

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•Talking on a cell phone
•Sending text messages
•Reaching for a moving object inside the vehicle
•Looking at an object or event outside of the vehicle
•Reading a book
•Eating food
•Applying makeup.

According to a study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), 80 percent of automobile accidents and 65 percent of near-accidents involve at least some form of driver distraction within three seconds of the crash or near-miss. As a result, police everywhere have begun aggressively ticketing people that engage in distracted driving and endanger other drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

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Speeding

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In 1999, speeding was a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes, and 12,628 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes. The economic cost to society of speeding-related crashes is estimated by the NHTSA to be $28 billion per year. Speeding is a deliberate and calculated behavior where the driver knows the risk but ignores the danger. Fully 90 percent of all licensed drivers speed at some point in their driving career, and 75 percent admit to committing this offense regularly.

As car accident lawyers, we strongly suggest that all car drivers consider the consequences before making a regrettable decision to speed.

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Drunk Driving

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Each year, thousands of car accidents with drunk drivers cause tragedy and grief, making it one of the top causes of automobile accidents. Drinking impairs your senses (vision and hearing) and results in decreased muscle coordination and slower reaction times — not a good combination for driving a car. In 2007 alone, about 13,000 wrongful deaths occurred in fatal car accidents with drunk drivers.

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Reckless Driving

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Reckless driving is a moving violation in which a driver displays a disregard for the rules of the road, and our San Diego car accident lawyers know that reckless drivers are a major cause of car accidents. In essence, reckless drivers put themselves and others at risk. As such, reckless driving offenders are punished by fines, jail time, and/or driver’s license suspension or revocation.
Disregard for the safety of people or property is a common element in reckless driving car accidents. Reckless driving acts include, but are not limited to, the following:
•Causing an automobile accident
•Distracted driving
•Drinking and driving
•Driving under the influence of drugs
•Driving without headlights
•Improper turns
•Running red lights
•Running stop signs
•Speeding
•Suddenly braking
•Tailgating.

These traffic offenses alone don’t constitute reckless driving, but a combination of traffic violations or aggravating circumstances can support a reckless driving charge.

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Rain

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Rain has been the cause of thousands of car accidents year in and year out, and rain is especially dangerous in dry weather states like California. Our San Diego car accident attorneys know that some of the most heavily populated areas in California — San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange County — only have rain periodically during the year, and many people forget how to drive in it. Therefore, drivers need to understand exactly how rain can cause an automobile accident.

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Running Red Lights

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When one vehicle collides with another in a car accident at the high speeds when running a red light, the effects can be catastrophic. Each year in the United States, people that run red lights are a top cause of car accidents, resulting in nearly 1,000 wrongful deaths and about 90,000 cases of personal injury. In short, this is a serious problem.

Red Light Auto Accident Statistics
•Car crashes from red light runners are more likely than any other type of crash (47 percent versus 33 percent) to produce some degree of injury.
•Fatal car accidents caused by running red lights are more likely to occur on urban roads than any other fatal crashes.
•Red light running car accidents are slightly more likely to occur during the day.