For people in West Virginia and across the United States, it’s always reasonable to be concerned about a car accident when getting behind the wheel. Every year, over 60 million collisions happen across the country, and numbers have grown in both 2015 and 2016, showing signs of an escalating trend. Car accidents aren’t only damaging to property; they can cause serious personal injuries or even death. This means that reducing or eliminating auto accidents is of major concern to researchers and engineers, many of whom study the causes of crashes in order to develop strategies for reducing the number of preventable injuries and accidents.
This research has highlighted several types of common car accidents, many of which can be prevented with minor changes to driving behavior. One common and dangerous cause of auto accidents is drowsy driving due to exhaustion. Getting behind the wheel when overly tired can have severe repercussions; 21 percent of fatal accidents and 7 percent of accidents overall are linked to drowsy driving. These crashes can be prevented by avoiding driving when overly tired or alone at night.
Another common type of auto accident that can be prevented is caused by rolling right turns at red lights. When a driver rolls into a right turn while looking in the other direction for traffic, it is far too easy to crash into pedestrians, parked cars or other obstacles. This type of accident is involved in 6 percent of pedestrian deaths. It can be avoided simply by coming to a complete stop before making a right turn on red.
People who have been injured in car crashes through no fault of their own may be struggling with the physical and financial consequences of others’ negligent or dangerous driving. A personal injury lawyer may be able to help the victims of a collision pursue compensation for their damages suffered as a result of a traffic accident, including medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.