You probably wouldn’t be very surprised to learn that there are roughly 2.5 million rear-end accidents a year.
While these accidents are common, they can be fatal.
While their causes are readily avoidable and easy to forget, we wanted to take a moment to remind you of these dangerous causes of rear end accidents.
Stormy Mondays
It sure seems like we’ve had a lot of extreme storms the past few years. Whatever the meteorological event, weather increases the likelihood of rear-end accidents.
Cars are precision machines and the roadway is old and in serious need of repair. When it rains, it gets slippery. When it’s cold and snowy, there’s a chance for ice. Wind makes passing more difficult. Bad weather can make driving dangerous.
Speedtraps
While it sounds counterintuitive at first, if you’ve ever driven past a speed trap you’ve probably noticed the drivers around you slow down rather abruptly. Maybe you’ve even seen an officer emerge, flip the siren and make a traffic stop.
This sudden change can be a major cause of rear-end accidents. If a driver stops suddenly or you fail to notice a merging vehicle, you might get into trouble.
Faulty Brake Lights
You can’t catch what you can’t see. When it comes to brake lights, this classic phrase can prove fatally accurate.
It’s hard to avoid hitting a driver if you can’t tell that they’re breaking. That’s why it’s so important to maintain a safe following distance.
Following Too Close
In the past, many states had laws that specified the distance each driver should leave between his or her vehicle. Due to a number of factors (one of which being increased traffic) that standard is beginning to disappear.
Distracted or Drunk Driving
Despite all the reminders on TV and all too tragically the news, people still drive distracted–or worse, drunk.
Rear end accidents are frequently caused by drivers in these two altered states.
Animals, Children and Potholes
Whether it’s the pothole you didn’t see, the kid chasing the ball into the street or that cute opossum, sudden changes in the driving experience can seriously increase the likelihood of an accident.
Malfunctioning Equipment
You expect to travel at a constant rate of speed. If the car in front of you suddenly stalls, you aren’t going to have a lot of opportunities to get out of the way. That’s why malfunctioning equipment can be such a serious cause of rear-end accidents.
These causes are by no means exhaustive. There are numerous variables involved in any rear-end accident.
We’ll update this blog entry over time with links to more information, but if you have been involved in an accident, our team of Denver car accident attorneys are happy to discuss your rear end accident with you in a free consultation.
Read about Side Impact Accidents HERE
