Major Causes of Car Accidents in California

Being involved in a car accident is one of the worst experiences a person could ever go through. It carries an emotional –– and possibly –– physical trauma that takes quite some time to heal, and then there’s the fact that there also might be significant property damage. You get your car, and you hope and expect that nothing bad could ever happen on the road, because you drive safely, right?

Well, unfortunately, that is not always up to you, since you’re not the only one on the road. Take a state like California, for instance. Car accidents happen on a daily basis there, and a lot of people get killed.

If you plan on driving there, you should know what the major causes of crashes are, so you could avoid them.

Speeding 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise really, because speeding is one of the major reasons for car accidents all over the world, but in California, perhaps it is a bit more than the average state or city. The problem with speeding is the fact that it doesn’t give the driver enough time to react, no matter how good they think they are.

When you are going at such high speeds, you simply don’t have sufficient control over your vehicle and things that could’ve been avoided at lower speeds become inevitable. The bigger problem with speeding is also the fact that it can lead to catastrophic outcomes, unlike accidents that happen at lower speeds. The amount of energy generated when a car crashes at high speed is enormous, and fatalities are almost a sure outcome. 

Driving under the influence 

You’d think people would know better than to drive while drunk, but apparently, they don’t. Stats show that alcohol was the reason behind over 23,000 car accidents in 2012! That many crashes resulted in hundreds of fatalities and a lot of serious injuries. As you can see on https://www.hamparyan.com/san-diego-car-accident-attorney/, it is in cases like these that you have to hire an experienced car accident attorney.

They will prove that the other driver was negligent for driving under the influence of alcohol, and they will get you financial compensation for your emotional and physical suffering. 

It is not just alcohol that causes crashes. A lot of drivers also hit the road under the influence of drugs. Stats show that, in 2013, one out of every three drivers killed in crashes has been under the influence of one drug or the other. This is how serious it can be, and a lot of people lose their lives due to such reckless behavior. 

Outside distractions 

We have the technology to curse for this one. While exact numbers aren’t available, a lot of car accidents in California happen because one of the two drivers was distracted, most probably using their cellphone. If you thought it was risky to drive while talking on the phone, just imagine how much riskier it is to drive while texting –– which a lot of people do in this day and age with dozens of chatting apps.

In fact, some studies claim that driving while texting is a lot more dangerous than doing it under the influence of alcohol! So, yes, you can use your car while drunk, and it’d still be safer than if you’re chatting with someone. 

Non-compliance with traffic laws 

A good deal of accidents also happens because people fail to obey traffic laws, which can be catastrophic. Running red lights is quite common, and if you do it at a high-speed intersection, a fatal accident is the only logical outcome. Some ignore stop signs, which can be just as dangerous and could lead to some serious accidents as well.

Perhaps the worst of those problems is changing lanes when you shouldn’t, which some people assume is an indication of good driving skills, but it really is only an indication of recklessness and disregard for people’s lives, as well as your own.

Third-party problems 

While most accidents are the direct fault of the drivers, sometimes, it may be for reasons out of their control. A manufacturer flaw might lead to some serious problems on the road, and this is why it is advisable that you have your car checked on a regular basis to avoid those problems as much as possible.

You should also check for road conditions, because when they are extremely poor, they might lead to unexpected incidents. 

At the end of the day, you want to avoid accidents at all costs, and if and when they do happen, they cannot be because you were negligent. It is quite easy to obey traffic laws and drive safely, but sometimes, the other person won’t. This is when you need to get a lawyer to claim your rightful compensation.