Of the 5.5 million auto accidents that happen annually, according to the Federal Highway Administration, most can be avoided. Many of those crashes do not result in injury for either party. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 2.3 million people are seriously injured every year in auto crashes. Human error is present in almost all of those collisions, which can be avoided if proper safety measures and attention to one’s surroundings are taken. If you have been injured by a negligent driver, contact an experienced Kansas City car accident attorney today for legal advice. Listed below are the main types of accidents that take place on U.S. roadways.
Head On Collisions
Head on collisions are the most lethal of any type of auto accident. They occur almost solely when serious negligence is present, such as driving down the wrong side of the road, driving the wrong direction on one way streets, swerving into oncoming traffic, or, the most likely, drifting into oncoming traffic due to cell phone distraction, falling asleep, or driving while impaired by alcohol. Crumple zone technology in the front of vehicles, in addition to airbags and seatbelts, helps reduce injuries and fatalities in head on collisions, but if the speed of one or both vehicles is great enough, serious injury or fatalities are unavoidable.
Side Impact Collisions
Impacts to the sides of vehicles are less lethal than front on collisions, though they are still dangerous. The occur when a driver fails to yield and pulls out into traffic, by losing control of the vehicle by speeding excessively or not taking the proper precautions in inclimate weather, or from becoming distracted and swerving or drifting into an adjacent lane.
Rear End Collisions
The least fatal type of collision is a rear ender. However, not all rear end collisions are fender benders. Of the 1.7 million rear end collisions each year, 1,700 occupants lose their lives and 500,000 become injured, according to the Washington Post. Rear enders, like most accidents, could be avoided if drivers kept their eyes on the road, did not excessively speed, and kept a safe distance between their vehicle and the vehicle in front.
Rollovers
Rollovers are one of the least likely ways in which to wreck a car. Only around two percent of accidents are rollovers, According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Although they are rare, they are incredibly fatal. In 2013, rollovers lead to 33 percent of all occupant fatalities, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Fatal rollovers are actually more likely to happen to a single vehicles, as opposed to a multiple-party collision. Most rollovers occur due to driver inattention or excessive speed.
Pedestrians and Cyclists Collisions
Only in one scenario does just one party in a multiple party collision stand no chance of fatality or injury: a collision with a pedestrian. Collisions with cyclists and pedestrians are tragic in that the injuries are generally severe and one sided, as well as on the fault of the driver in the majority of cases.
If you have been injured in a traffic accident that was no fault of your own, contact an experienced Kansas City, Missouri, car accident attorney at the Krause & Kinsman Law Firm today to discuss your legal options.
