You probably aren’t very surprised to learn that more than 8,000 people a year are killed in side impact accidents.
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 side impact accidents.
Cloudy Days
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–especially braking.
When it’s slippery, there are more accidents. When it’s difficult to brake, you’re more likely to end up in a side-impact accident.
Running Red, Turning Across Lanes and other traffic violations
When drivers neglect the basic rules of roadway etiquette, accidents happen.
Failing to stop at a red light, turning across lanes or not looking out for the pace of oncoming traffic are all common causes of side-impact accidents.
Faulty Brake Lights, Bad Steering
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. You won’t be able to react in time if your steering locks up. That’s why it’s so important to maintain a safe following distance–and to ensure that all of your vehicle’s equipment is in proper working order.
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.
Aggressive, Distracted or Reckless drivers
Some drivers drive in an overtly aggressive manner. Despite all the reminders on TV and all too tragically the news, people still drive distracted–or worse, drunk.
Side impact accidents are frequently caused by drivers in these three altered states.
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 side-impact accidents.
These causes are by no means exhaustive. There are numerous variables involved in any side impact accident.
We’ll update this blog entry over time with links to more information, but in the meantime you should know that our Denver car accident lawyers are happy to discuss your side impact accident with you in a free consultation.
