90% of car crashes are avoidable. This means that some combination of factors, including human error, led to an accident.
Many elements cause or contribute to car accidents:
- distracted driving
- drunk driving
- drowsy driving
- medical events that happen to the driver
- bad weather
- traffic violations
- obstructions or hazards in the roadway
- animals or pedestrians darting into the road
However, it’s rare that accidents are unavoidable – as you can see, 90% of accidents have some kind of error involved. Driving with one’s full attention on the road, going the speed limit, and slowing down if on a lousy road surface or during bad weather can all greatly reduce someone’s change of causing a wreck.
Despite the preventable nature of motor vehicle collisions, they are still the top cause of death for Americans aged 11 – 27. Even getting past that range doesn’t mean one is in the clear – fatalities from car accidents just slip to the #2 spot.
So you see why I focus on car accidents as a personal injury lawyer. In all my years practicing in Bellingham, I’ve seen so many victims come to me because someone made a mistake and caused them injury and loss. Especially in the most common causes of accidents – speeding, as well as drunk and distracted driving – the victims are reeling from pain because someone chose to make a mistake, and go against all reason to do something unsafe.
By choosing to focus on the road and the task of safe driving, to maintain a speed that is within the posted speed limit and safe for conditions, and to refrain from driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol, drivers limit their likelihood of causing an accident. If all drivers made such responsible choices, the number of traffic accidents would plummet dramatically. Otherwise, we’ll have to wait for cars to drive themselves.