A traffic collision occurs when a vehicle strikes another moving object, such as a pedestrian or cyclist. Collisions involving fixed objects, such as parked vehicles or trees, are also common.
Car crashes can be extremely dangerous. It is important to take some steps to reduce your chances of a collision.
Avoiding Traffic Collisions
A traffic collision can be fatal or cause injuries to the driver and passengers. There are a number of ways to avoid collisions.
Intersection Collisions: About one-third of all traffic crashes occur at intersections, so it’s important to be cautious when approaching these intersections. Be sure to look left, right, and again to make sure there are no other vehicles before entering the intersection.
Lane Collisions: When you’re driving on a two- or four-lane street, it’s important to stay in the curbside lane as much as possible. This reduces the likelihood of a collision with oncoming traffic, especially since most city streets have no turn lanes.
Head-On Collisions: The most dangerous kind of traffic collision is a head-on crash, where the front of one vehicle collides with the front of another. These accidents are often deadly, as the occupants of the vehicles are thrown forward at the speed they were traveling at the time of impact.
Intersection Collisions
Intersections are locations where traffic moves in different directions and intersect with one another. They can be large and complex, and the drivers who use them need to be aware of their surroundings and safe when driving.
Drivers often take for granted their surroundings at intersections, and this can lead to a variety of problems. For example, if they drive the same route every day and do not look around much, they may not notice things like pedestrians in crosswalks or bicycles on the road.
Some common causes of intersection collisions include running red lights or stop signs, failing to yield the right of way and tailgating. These mistakes can cause accidents at intersections and affect all road users, including pedestrians and bicyclists.
Lane Collisions
Drivers often make unexpected lane changes without realizing it, which can cause them to run into oncoming traffic. This is a dangerous situation and can cause severe injuries or death to both drivers.
Accidents caused by lane collisions are more common on highways than on city streets. These crashes are especially dangerous because they can occur at high speeds and result in multiple-car pile-ups.
The main causes of lane collisions are driver error and inattention to the road. These can be a result of drowsy driving, alcohol or drug use, sleep deprivation, or medical issues.
A study performed in the United States analyzed data from a 100-Car naturalistic driving study to determine what behaviors can reduce the risk of lane change crashes and near-crashes. The analysis uncovered that drivers who used turn signals during planned lane changes were less likely to crash than those who didn’t.
Side Collisions
Side impact collisions, also known as T-bone accidents, are one of the most common types of car crashes. They can cause severe injury to the driver or passenger in the vehicle.
During head-on or rear-end collisions, there is a buffer of frame and hood area to protect occupants from the striking vehicle. However, when a car is struck from the side, it only has the door and window to cushion the impact.
This can cause significant internal bleeding and damage to organs and tissues. It can also lead to traumatic brain injuries and spinal injuries.
Aside from the severity of a side-impact crash, which can have serious impacts on an occupant’s life beyond medical expenses and lost wages, it is often the case that the victim’s injuries are caused by another person’s negligence. In this situation, the injured party may file a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent driver for compensation beyond those provided by no-fault insurance.
