One out of every 147 motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. results in the death of a driver or passenger. More than 36,000 people die every year in car crashes. Understanding the many factors that contribute to fatal accidents may help reduce your chances of being part of one in California.
Driver-related causes of fatal accidents
Driver error contributes to many fatal motor vehicle accidents. The leading causes of fatal accidents include:
• Distracted driving
• Lack of proper seat-belt use
• Reckless or aggressive driving
• Driving while intoxicated
• Poor weather
• Excessive speeding
• Attempts to swerve and avoid road obstruction
• Failure to yield or obey
Vehicles most commonly found in fatal accidents
The type of vehicle you drive may influence whether or not your motor vehicle accident results in a fatality. According to a TitleMax study on fatal car accidents, the most commonly driven vehicles in fatal accidents included:
• Chevrolet Silverado
• Ford F-150
• Honda Accord
• Toyota Camry
• Dodge Ram
• Honda Civic
• Nissan Altima
• Toyota Corolla
• GMC Sierra
• Ford Explorer
Common fatal injuries in car accidents
Many types of injuries may occur in a motor vehicle accident. Some of the most common injuries that can lead to fatalities in motor vehicle accidents include:
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Internal bleeding
• Spinal cord injuries
• Severe burns
Most common types of fatal accidents
Any type of motor vehicle accident holds the potential to end with death. These chances greatly increase if the drivers travel at a high speed. However, some types of motor vehicle crashes result in greater numbers of fatalities. These crashes involve:
• Head-on impact
• Rollovers
• Pedestrian accidents
• T-bone collisions
Dealing with the aftermath
Many individuals who lose a loved one in a fatal motor vehicle accident also must recover from injuries they sustained in the crash as well. Those who do not sustain any injuries will still need to deal with life-long grief due to these fatal motor vehicle accidents.