It's no secret that auto accidents happen every day across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and the rest of the United States. Millions of people are on the road, and when you have that many people operating motor vehicles, there's no chance that everyone is driving safely all at the same time (wouldn't that be nice?). But what is actually causing these accidents? A few top reasons appear to be a common theme in thousands of crashes, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
- Distracted Driving. We live in a world where multi-tasking is often heralded as a positive trait. While that may work well for some people at work or at home, it's definitely not a great thing to practice while you're driving. Distracted driving comes in many forms, but common offenses include texting, talking on your cell phone, playing with the radio, slowing down to look at an accident, eating, chatting with people in the car, and even trying to do your makeup or hair.
- Drunk Driving. In 2011, 9,878 people died in drunk driving crashes—that equals about one person every 53 minutes. Far too many people overestimate their ability to drive after consuming alcohol, and they really should just be following one main rule: if you are drinking at all, don't drive. It's not worth getting into an accident and/or hurting other drivers.
- Reckless or Aggressive Driving. This is a general umbrella for many different driving offenses, but the general idea is that accidents happen when people are not following the rules of the road. This includes speeding, tailgating, failing to use blinkers, ignoring stop signs and traffic lights, changing lanes in an unsafe way, and more. If you're doing something you would not have done during your initial driving test, don't do it after you have your license.
If you've been injured in a crash, contact the Dallas auto accident attorneys at Girards Law for a free consultation at 888-897-2762.