Car accidents can lead to serious trauma, injuries, and fatalities. According to Forbes, nearly 20,868 reported accidents involve passenger cars in the United States. Along with road awareness and driving knowledge, a lot of drivers need to be made aware of the common types of car accidents that occur in the U.S. Having such knowledge comes when handy in filing claims against the responsible parties. We have covered the most common car accident types below for your ease.
The Most Common Car Accident Types
The following information may help you get a better understanding of the reasons for car accidents in the US. If you have been a victim of a car accident, know that a car accident attorney can secure fair compensation for you.
Rear-End Vehicle Impact
Rear-end impacts occur when a car crashes into the back of another vehicle. Such accidents typically occur when a car fails to stop or slow down within a decent range. If we look at the common causes of these accidents, they are distracted driving or poor visibility conditions (during fog, rains, or storms).
Head-On Vehicle Collisions
Head-on collisions are severely dangerous as they involve two vehicles impacting directly with each other from the front. Such accidents usually occur at busy intersections or crossings. More often, one or both drivers collide while speeding or due to impaired driving.
T-Bone Car Accidents
T-bone car accidents are another common type involving severe impacts and injuries to passengers and drivers. Such accidents usually happen at intersections where a driver fails to stop within a decent range.
Single-Vehicle Impacts
As the name suggests, single-vehicle car accidents involve a car hitting a stationary object. These accidents may occur at any place under varying circumstances. However, the common causes of single-vehicle impacts include distracted driving, overspeeding, poor weather conditions, and mechanical failures.
Sideswipe Vehicle Impacts
Sideswipe accidents occur when two vehicles sideswipe each other while changing lanes, overtaking, or merging. Sideswipes can have minor to severe impacts depending on the speed and collision of the two vehicles. Normally, such accidents occur due to a misjudgment of distance, careless driving, and driver fatigue.
Animal-Car Collisions
Animal-car collisions can lead to serious injuries and vehicle impacts. It is a common type of car accident in rural areas due to the increased possibility of animal interactions. Moreover, these accidents may occur at dusk or dawn due to poor visibility. Animals like pigs, deer, and large birds can impact a car, causing driver injuries and vehicle damage.
How to Ensure Road Safety?
As a driver, you can avoid the risk of the above car accident types by following the traffic rules in your area. If you have recently moved to a new locality, you may seek awareness from others in your neighborhood or explore the traffic rules online for enhanced awareness. Sticking to the local driving laws can help you ensure your personal safety as well as protect other drivers in varying conditions.
Additionally, always wear your seatbelt when driving. Nearly 46% of drivers involved in deadly crashes were unbuckled at the time of the collision. These stats clearly highlight the importance of personal safety while driving.
