For most people in the United States, driving is an essential part of our everyday lives. We use our cars to commute to and from work, visit our friends and family, and go out to have fun. According to The Barnes Firm, a personal injury lawyer NYC, car accidents are a major everyday risk and can be medically and emotionally traumatic. There is always a risk, of course, that we will get into a car accident, and therefore it’s important to know about the types of car accidents, the dangers involved, and how to lower your chances of getting in a car accident.
Pedestrian Accidents
One of the greatest responsibilities for drivers on the road is to look out for pedestrians and bikers in everyday life. Pedestrians are less able to predict the actions of drivers and have less ability to avoid a collision. The majority of pedestrian accidents are caused by distracted driving – texting or talking on your cell phone, eating, programming your GPS, or being distracted by passengers. Even a seemingly minor pedestrian accident can result in serious injury or death, so mitigating distractions and staying vigilant, especially in high-traffic pedestrian areas, is an absolute must.
Rear-End Collisions
The general public’s idea of rear-end collisions is restricted to the glib phrase “fender-bender” and sees this kind of collision as more of an annoyance than a threat. Unfortunately, there are many injuries that can result from this seemingly minor car accident. Victims of a rear-end collision, especially those in the back seat, often have no way of seeing the accident coming and therefore don’t have the opportunity to brace correctly for the collision. This can result in a wide variety of injuries, including whiplash, serious bruising, broken bones, and concussions and other serious brain injuries. Rear-end collisions can be caused by either driver, either because of distracted driving on the part of the rear driver or sudden braking and other irresponsible driving on the part of the front driver.
Sideswipes
Sideswipe accidents are actually among the most dangerous for both the drivers and the passengers in any vehicle. Even if your car is a modern model with side-impact airbags, these airbags don’t offer as much protection as the airbags in front of you, and crumple zones are biased towards face-on collisions. If a sideswipe accident happens at highway speeds, it can easily result in serious injuries. Unfortunately, there are a variety of everyday maneuvers that can easily result in a sideswipe accident when performed by a distracted or inexperienced driver. These maneuvers include merging onto a highway, making a lane change without checking your blind spots, and driving too aggressively in adverse weather conditions. Since sideswipe collisions can easily result in broken bones and serious internal injuries, it is important to always pay full attention when performing these potentially dangerous but everyday maneuvers. Reach out to THE702FIRM Injury Attorneys for more information on this.
Head-on Collisions
For many people, head-on collisions are a true nightmare scenario. A car is coming at you from the wrong direction, and there’s little you can do to avoid it or reduce the impact of the collision. Head-on collisions are far less dangerous than they used to be, thanks to advances in airbag technology, dashboard impact technology, and crumple zones, but they can still easily result in serious injury or death, especially for those in the front seat. They are most often caused by seriously inexperienced drivers attempting to go on the wrong ramp or drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If you are facing a head-on scenario, try to get into another lane if on a multi-lane highway or onto the shoulder if on a single-lane road. If that isn’t possible, reducing your speed can help to reduce the impact of the head-on collision.