Highway Car Accidents
Every day, drivers get on the road in order to get where they need to go. Highways provide an easy opportunity to bypass cities and large areas at a fast pace without any traffic lights. But this presents a different set of dangers and challenges to motorists and passengers on America’s highways.
Most Common Reasons For Highway Accidents
Unfortunately, road accidents occur for a variety of reasons.
Distracted and Sleepy Drivers
At very high speeds it is important to focus on the road. One reason for distracted driving is fatigue. After spending many hours behind the wheel or driving after a long day of work across town, a driver may be more exhausted, and thus more likely to make preventable errors behind the wheel. Truckers on the highway spend several hours a day driving and are required to take breaks to reduce fatigue. However, they can still become exhausted or start to fall asleep behind the wheel.
Rumble strips, also known as sleeper lines or alert strips, are a road safety feature to wake drivers when they have fallen asleep and drifted off into the shoulder. They can also alert and attentive drivers who have suddenly drifted from doing something illegal behind the wheel, like texting. These strips cause the vehicle to vibrate, suddenly jolting the driver, but they are not fully able to prevent accidents.
Bad Weather
Inclement weather causes unsafe road conditions no matter where you drive, but the fast speeds on the highway make it even more dangerous to be driving during wet weather. It is advised to slow down and to drive at the speed limit, or slower (but not below the minimum) if you absolutely must drive. If your trip is not urgent, then it is best to wait until the weather clears and it is safer to be on the roads.
Speeding
Lastly, speeding is one of the most common causes of road accidents in the United States. Driving above the speed limit not only increases the risk of losing control of the vehicle but it also puts all other motorists in danger. When a driver is speeding there is less time to react to road conditions, and it will take more to slow down the vehicle if there’s an obstacle in the road.
Drunk driving is another cause of highway accidents. High speeds exacerbate the dangers of driving while intoxicated. If you see someone swerving in their lane on the highway, it’s best to move to another lane or get off the highway temporarily.
Statistics and Related Data
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in 2018 there were 1,504 car accidents in Georgia.
- Out of all of these, 442 drivers or passengers were not wearing a seatbelt or other restraint when they were fatally injured.
- The majority of crash deaths occurred and single-vehicle accidents, while 673 involved multiple vehicles.
- Nationwide a high blood alcohol content was reported in 65% of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers.
- There were 397 fatally injured passengers and drivers killed with known blood alcohol content results
Why You Need a Personal Injury Attorney
While the facts of your car accident may seem very obvious to you, if the insurance company’s attorneys argue against you then you will need someone who will fight for you. The insurance companies do not want to pay out large sums in settlement claims, so they will do whatever they can to ensure that you settle for the lowest amount. If you have been involved in a highway accident, then give our office a call to schedule your free consultation so we can listen to the specifics of your case.
