Common Causes of Car Accidents in Missouri

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration there were over 7.2 million police-reported car accidents in the United States in 2016. In fact, since 2011 we have seen more police-reported crashes than the previous year throughout our country. In Missouri, there were 921 vehicle-related fatalities in 2018. As of November 17, 2019, there were 762 vehicle-fatalities in Missouri in 2019. For all the safety measures we are constantly reminded of, as it turns out, car accidents are still all the rage. In most instances, a car accident can be blamed on a driver’s error, although other factors outside the driver’s control may chime in once in a while. Let’s have a quick look at some of the most common car accident causes in Missouri:

Distracted Driving

We all know who that number one culprit is: the good old cell phone. Going by the National Safety Council (NSC) words, 25% of all car accidents can be attributed to cell phone use, whether the driver was texting or on a call.

But why does distracted driving happen all the time? Well, let’s just say that we humans think too much of our ability to multitask. However, scientific evidence says otherwise—when we try to divide our attention between two tasks, all we are doing is switching between them from moment to moment. And for critical tasks such as driving, the results can be disastrous.

Drunk Driving

A lot of people apparently draw their courage to drive drunk from previous successes. But recent statistics published by the NHTSA paint a grim picture: alcohol was involved in more than 40% of all automobile accidents.

It’s probably best to not trust your judgment under the influence of alcohol, and use a taxi instead.

Driving While Fatigued

With all the talk about sleep deprivation, it’s hardly too surprising that too many people get behind the wheel when they’re too tired and shouldn’t even be considering it. Driving as fatigued isn’t much different from driving while drunk though. With such diminished concentration, avoiding an accident is only a matter of chance.

Speeding

For whatsoever reasons a driver may decide to go at break-neck speed, the chances that they don’t end up with a broken neck are quite high. Sure, one might get away with it on an empty road, but if other motorists or pedestrians are using the road, a car accident is almost always a guarantee.

Bad Weather

Here’s one scenario when the circumstances, rather than the driver, may be to blame for an accident. Heavy rains and ice can make the road so slippery that controlling the vehicle becomes a challenge. It is as such moments that you cannot afford any slips in concentration. If the weather looks back try taking it slow, or better yet, avoid jumping on the wheel at all.

Faulty Equipment

Equipment failure causes accidents too, and those accidents might be more visible than those caused by distracted driving. According to federal statistics, about 12% of all accidents are caused by faulty equipment, including blown tires and brake failure.

Here's the thing: the bigger the vehicle, the greater the impact and the damage when the driver loses control. In fact, many instances of brake failure actually occur in truck accidents.

Drivers can and should reduce their own risk by keeping their cars well maintained. Having their brakes checked periodically, and checking tires, fluids, and lights on a regular basis, greatly contributes to keeping them and everyone around them safe.

Other Common Causes of Car Accidents

  • Running red lights Missouri Car Accidents
  • Driving at night
  • Tailgating
  • Design defects in the car
  • Tire bursts
  • Potholes
Michael Foster
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Kansas City Personal Injury Attorney
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