Why Car Crashes Happen: The Most Common Causes of Auto Accidents

While many would like to think that car accidents are inevitable and can’t be helped, the truth is that with rare exceptions–such as poor weather, car accidents are the result of negligence, and are almost always preventable. Every year, there are tens of thousands of lives lost on U.S. roads, many of which could have been saved but for careless drivers.

If you’ve been in a car accident in North Carolina, our car accident attorneys can help. Consider some of these most common causes of car accidents and reach out to our law firm directly if you have questions about your rights after a crash.

Drunk Driving

Drunk driving is the number one reason why fatal car accidents happen. According to data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drunk driving-related deaths took more than 10,400 lives in a single year alone in the U.S.

Speeding

The second-most dangerous driving behavior is that of speeding, which took only a few hundred fewer lives than did drunk driving in the same year for which data is cited. Speeding is entirely preventable, and occurs as a result of aggressive driving, impatience, or pure negligence.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is becoming more and more common as more people behind the wheel use smartphones. While cellphones are the biggest cause of distracted driving, they’re by no means the only one. GPS devices, eating while driving, and even chatting with passengers can all be distracting.

Drowsy Driving

More people than you might expect fall asleep at the wheel, dozing off to the point where they perform a dangerous maneuver. Drowsy driving is extremely dangerous for obvious reasons. While drowsy driving can affect anyone, truck drivers and those who work irregular hours are most at risk. Certain prescription and over-the-counter medications can also cause drowsy driving.

Aggressive Driving

Finally, aggressive driving can refer to a wide range of behaviors that are dangerous, such as following too closely, driving too fast for conditions, tailgating, cutting off another driver, failing to signal, running a red light, failing to yield, and more.

Not Wearing a Seatbelt

While not wearing a seatbelt doesn’t actively cause accidents, it does increase the risk of serious injury and death in the event that an accident does occur. According to the same data source cited above, over 10,400 car accident-related deaths were categorized as “unbelted deaths” in a single year.

Call Our Auto Accident Attorney in North Carolina Today

Serving Raleigh, New Bern, Morehead City, and surrounding areas of North Carolina, our auto accident attorneys at the office of Howard Stallings Law Firm care about you. We have years of experience and a commitment to excellence, and always put our clients first. If you have been in a car crash and have questions about your rights and how to hold the responsible party liable for your harm, reach out to us today for a free consultation. You can send us a message or call our law office directly.