Home Blog Car Accident The Top 10 Reasons People Get Injured While Driving

The Top 10 Reasons People Get Injured While Driving

By Aline Miranda on August 31, 2017

Every time you drive your car you risk your life and others around you due to the decisions you make. Whether your decision involves breaking a law or just not being aware of the road, here are some of the top 10 reasons why people get injured in car accidents.

Not Wearing Your Seatbelt

Almost a given, not wearing your seatbelt can increase your risk of injury in an accident. It is the best method of improving your safety and is said to reduce the chances of injury in an accident by almost 50%.

Turning Off Your Airbags

When you do not have your airbags on, the risks of head and chest injuries are increased heavily. Without airbags, there is no protection besides your seatbelt when you are thrown forward into your dashboard during a high impact accident.

Ignoring Speed Limits

Driving at high speeds is one of the leaders in causes of automobile accidents but it also increases the risk of harm to you and others on the road. Not obeying the posted speed limit is a dangerous game as you have less control in your ability to stop if needed to. It also increases your chances of a fatal accident if you hit something or someone at a high speed.

Driving Under the Influence

Driving while under the influence makes you lose control of your ability to comprehend what you are doing behind a wheel. With nearly 300,000 people driving under the influence a day according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, this is a very dangerous problem in our society.

Jaywalking

Jaywalking is a popular phenomenon of crossing a street where there is no crosswalks or legal area to cross. This is used to get to your destination faster but also increases your risk of being hit by a car at high speeds. This is because drivers are not expecting anyone to cross the road except for at posted crosswalks. It is best to avoid jaywalking even if you may think you are clear from both sides of the street.

Using Your Phone and Driving

Distracted driving puts you at four times the risk of being in an accident. When you aren’t paying attention on the road, you cannot see the movements of others on the road as well. Putting down your phone is the best way to avoid being injured because you put yourself in the best situation to avoid an accident.

Not Paying Attention to Street Signs

Street signs such as one way streets are used to signify that you should only go down a street if you are headed in the correct posted direction. Turning onto a one-way street is one of the best examples for putting yourself in a dangerous situation for an accident related injury as you will be driving head on with other cars. Always be aware of all street signs as they are there to direct you into the best possible position while driving.

“Tailgating”

When you aren’t driving on a road that has multiple lanes, you are sometimes put into positions where the person in front of you is driving at a less satisfactory speed than you desire. This sometimes angers drivers so they follow closely behind the car to show that the person in front of them needs to speed up. This method of “tailgating” puts yourself in a dangerous position to get injured as the person in front of you could make a sudden stop ending with consequences.

“Road Rage”

Cutting someone off or saying something to another driver are just a few ways road rage can be sparked. Road rage incidents can lead to a multitude of volatile situations such as someone hitting your car purposefully. Fatalities from “road rage” is not an uncommon result so it is best to always be courteous to other drivers and to never engage with someone on the road to avoid it from happening.

Speeding Up to Make a Yellow Light

When you are in a hurry to reach your destination, many people choose to accelerate to make a light that has turned yellow. This can be a very dangerous situation however, as you cannot predict when a light turns from yellow to red increasing your chances of being in a high speed collision. It is always best to play it safe and slow down when a light turns yellow at an upcoming intersection.

Avoiding these actions are some of the best ways to decrease the result of getting injured while driving a car. If you have been injured because of someone else’s negligence, it’s never too early to discuss your options with an experienced professional, call now to schedule a free, no pressure consultation at 888-278-6688.

Links:

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/seatbelts/facts.html

http://www.madd.org/statistics/?referrer=https://search.yahoo.com/

http://www.teendriversource.org/more_pages/page/texting_and_driving_facts/for_parents