Rear-end Collisions Happen More Frequently Than Any Other Kind of Collision
Rear-end accidents happen. In fact, they happen a lot. In general, when somebody hits you from behind, liability is pretty clear—the guy who hit you from behind is at fault. That isn’t likely to make you feel better if you are hit from behind, however. Rear-end accidents result in a considerable number of injuries, including serious injuries, as well as fatalities and major damage to vehicles. You really don’t want to be on the receiving end of that.
If you are, though, you should consider seeking legal assistance to ensure that you receive proper compensation for your injuries. Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC, routinely represents clients who suffer injuries in rear-end collisions. They can assist you with your situation. If you were in such an accident, you can contact our Gwinnett County personal injury lawyers at (404) 418-8244, or through our online contact form.
Rear-end Accidents Are the Most Common Kind of Collision
Many modern vehicles feature forward-collision warning systems, which are intended to cut down on rear-end accidents. Despite this, and other advances such as automated braking and additional brake lights on the rear of newer vehicles, rear-end collisions remain the most common of automobile accidents. For two-vehicle crashes, almost half are rear-end crashes. That adds up to a lot of traffic accidents. It also adds up to a lot of injuries, deaths, and property damage.
Federal statistics indicate that rear-end collisions account for nearly one-third of all traffic accidents. In 2014, 32 percent of all traffic accidents were rear-end collisions. Less than seven percent of all fatal accidents involve rear-end collisions, but such crashes result in thousands of injuries and multiple millions of dollars in property damage and medical expenses every year.
Not only are rear-end crashes common, but they can also prove to be deadly, even if other types of accidents result in a higher percentage of traffic fatalities. In fact, on national newspaper reports that there are about 1.7 million rear-end collisions every year. In those accidents, about 1,700 people die every year, and an additional 500,000 suffer injuries. While these numbers are dwarfed by traffic fatality and injury totals from all causes, they remain a significant portion of highway accidents, injuries, and fatalities each year. The numbers are impossible to ignore and represent a significant risk to public health.
Avoiding Rear-End Accidents—From Either Side of the Collision—Means Paying Attention and Driving Carefully
One federal report found that 87 percent of rear-end collisions occur when the driver of the trailing vehicle simply wasn’t paying attention to the road. Under such circumstances, it is easy to see how an inattentive driver could collide with the vehicle in front of him just through inattentiveness. However, while inattentive driving is by far the leading cause of rear-end collisions, there are other major causes, such as:
- Aggressive driving. This can include tailgating, speeding, sudden lane changes, or stopping or braking unexpectedly
- Dangerous weather, including ice, rain, standing water on the road, or other weather that results in poor visibility or driving conditions. These conditions can be prime factors resulting in rear-end accidents, particularly if a driver is inattentive or fails to consider how weather might affect braking distances
- Driving under the influence. Whether the intoxicant is alcohol or some other substance, driving under the influence will affect how safely you can operate a vehicle. Such impairment dramatically increases the likelihood that you will be the perpetrator in a rear-end accident
- Fatigued driving likewise can contribute to the kind of bad judgment and inattention to the road that can often result in rear-end collisions. Some studies have likened driving while drowsy to driving under the influence when it comes to impaired judgment and reaction time.
Anyone of these factors can come into play in a rear-end collision. That applies regardless of whether you are the driver who is striking from the rear, or the poor unexpecting guy getting hit from behind.
Realistically, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to avoid a rear-end traffic accident. Still, you can protect yourself.
Interestingly, federal statistics indicate that roughly 90 percent of all rear-end accidents caused by distracted drivers and would not happen if the colliding driver paid attention to traffic just a single second earlier. That one second of attention to the road would provide enough extra braking time and distance, as well as time to maneuver, to make it possible to avoid a rear-end accident altogether.
Obviously, you have to start by paying attention to the road and your surroundings, including the traffic in front of you. Events develop quickly in traffic. Follow the rules of the road, don’t drive while drowsy, be careful during bad weather, and don’t try to reset radio, CD or GPS positions while your vehicle is in motion in traffic.
Perhaps most importantly, don’t tailgate or drive aggressively in traffic. There is nothing to gain and much to lose. A brief moment of inattention can have disastrous consequences. If you are involved in a rear-end traffic accident, regardless of whether you are on the delivering or receiving end, you should consult with an attorney experienced in dealing with rear-end collisions.
