Whether you’re battling eight lanes of traffic on I-285 or taking a carefree cruise north of the city center, accidents happen. Knowing the leading causes of car accidents can help you be more aware when driving and help you easily spot clues that indicate that another driver is a danger.
Often, when your Atlanta car accident lawyer investigates your claim, identifying the cause of the crash leads to the liable party. That helps support your claim for damages.
Here are the top ten causes of traffic collisions. The legal team at Karell Trial Attorneys regularly sees the following, based on decades of collective litigation experience.
#1 Distracted driving
Distracted driving is hands-down the leading cause of car accidents. From cell phones to GPS, queuing up a playlist, or paying more attention to passengers than the road, many preventable distractions occur behind the wheel.
Distracted driving causes slower reaction times, an inability to remain in the proper lane, and failure to notice a hazard in time to avoid it.
#2 Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence of drugs or with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% is illegal in Georgia. In a recent year, about 22% of all traffic collision fatalities were due to alcohol impairment.
If you’re driving under the influence of prescription drugs that have indications not to drive or operate heavy machinery, that can be intoxicated driving. Also be mindful of prescriptions that compromise your ability to concentrate or slow your reflexes.
Driving under the influence is entirely preventable, especially with so much public transportation and rideshare services in the greater Atlanta area. If someone decides to drive drunk or high, they can be held liable for any harm they cause in a wreck.
#3 Drowsy driving
Did you know that sleep-deprived driving is comparable to drunk driving? Both conditions make your reflexes slower, your perception less sharp, and hurt your reaction time. Either condition can cause you to drift out of your lane or off the road.
Staying awake for more than 18 hours significantly impairs your ability to drive. If you’re awake for more than 24 hours, your driving ability is comparable to that of someone over twice the legal BAC level.
#4 Inclement weather
From heavy rain to snow, sleet, or high winds, bad weather is another leading cause of car accidents. Can you collect compensation after a weather-related crash? Maybe. If one driver rear-ends another in the rain or fog, they may be responsible for the crash.
If your lawyer can prove that they weren’t taking steps to avoid an accident, like driving without headlights, speeding, or following too closely, then they can be held liable for damages.
#5 Road hazards
Debris, potholes, and other road hazards can cause a car to spin out of control. The local municipality is responsible for maintaining clear, safe roadways. If it fails to do so, it can be held liable for a wreck.
It can be tough to draw the connection between a road in poor repair and liability for an accident. It’s important to talk to a lawyer who has successfully handled similar claims to help you get the compensation you deserve.
#6 Road rage and other reckless driving actions
It’s not driving in Atlanta if there’s no daily road rage incident. From tailgating to aggressively cutting someone off, changing lanes, or worse yet, threatening someone with a weapon, it happens all too often.
Road rage clouds a driver’s mind, leading to dangerous decisions. A road rage-induced accident may be considered a malicious action and negligent behavior. Your attorney may collect witness accounts, dashcam footage, and data from the raging driver’s vehicle’s Event Data Recorder to present evidence of road rage and violence.
#7 Speeding
Speeding is a violation of Georgia traffic laws. Deliberately flouting traffic laws, including speed limits, is negligent. The faster a vehicle travels, the worse the damage when it collides with another car, person, or object.
Even violating a lower speed limit, like 20-30 miles per hour, can lead to accidents. Twisting or curving roads, like we have in the Blue Ridge north of Atlanta, may have lower speed limits for a reason. Tearing around sharp curves often leads to a crash and serious injuries.
#8 Failure to yield at traffic-light-guided intersections
Most of us have considered coasting through a yellow light to “beat” it. But, like posted speed limits, traffic lights are there for driver safety.
It’s difficult to estimate on the spot how much time you have before a yellow light turns red. Trying to speed through the intersection before the light changes creates conditions for a deadly T-bone collision.
Hurt in a car accident? Let’s talk.
If you’ve been involved in a car accident, turn to Karell Trial Attorneys. We offer a free consultation with an Atlanta car accident lawyer. Contact us today at (678) 999-3331 to schedule yours.
