When you look at fatal car accidents, you’re very likely to see a few common factors, and those can include high speeds, not using seatbelts, and engaging with distractions such as phones, navigation systems, and more. The trouble is that you’re going to have to prove these factors to help establish fault.
There are many times that the factors involved in a fatality play a huge role in determining fault. The determination of fault will guide if, and how much, compensation you can recover as part of your demand or claim with your insurance. It’s always something to consider, and you should carefully go through these factors with your Atlanta, Georgia car crash attorney.
What are the 4 Most Common Events that Lead to Fatalities in Car Accidents?
Here is a list of some of the most common reasons for fatal auto accidents:
High Speeds
High speeds are among the most common factors present in fatal car accidents because the higher the speed, the less likely it is that someone will be able to avoid a potential collision. Ideally, when a person sees a crash coming, they should run through possible actions in their mind. Defensive drivers will have these options laid out ahead of the time anyway, and that means they would know that diving to the shoulder is too dangerous, or that slowing their speed before the possible impact is best.
High-speed wrecks don’t necessarily happen only on freeways. Instead, they can happen on surface streets, at intersections, and even in school zones where people should be most careful. The result of reckless driving accidents is serious injuries, fatalities, and the immediate need for first responders.
Cell Phone Use and Other Distractions
The trouble with distracted drivers is that they don’t have any insight into what’s going on around them. Looking down for one minute could result in running through a red light and result in a T-bone accident that produces multiple fatalities.
Cell phones are among the biggest obstacle to overcome for drivers. Not only do you have to resist the temptation to reach for it with every *ping* but also to rely on it for navigation and traffic updates. It’s the double-edged sword that can help you avoid traffic and possible accident when you know of sudden stops ahead. However, it can also cause numerous crashes.
Lack of Safety Belt Use
In Georgia, drivers use seatbelts a little more often than the national average, but there are still only 92% of drivers in Georgia regularly using their safety restraints. That means that at least 8% of drivers are out there without any seatbelt or safety restraint. Then you can imagine that those people with kids in the car probably aren’t too on top of their passengers for wearing their seat belts either.
Seatbelts are a minor inconvenience that can open up many doors to safety and security. It can stop you from flying out of the vehicle, hitting the dashboard, or even flying forward into your expanding airbag. Seatbelts are necessary.
Angle of Impact
The angle of the wreck has so much to do with the injuries. Head-on collisions are nearly impossible to come away from without some type of injury. It’s something that you want to look out for in that it’s difficult to avoid and nearly impossible to lessen the blow.
T-Bone or side hit accidents are another common angle for fatal car accidents. When you directly hit against the side of a vehicle, it’s highly likely that you’re going to hit against exactly where a person is sitting. Hitting a driver nearly dead-on or a passenger is deadly, and it won’t be really useful to have airbags at that point.
How Can Fatal Accidents be Prevented?
Here are some tips to help prevent fatal accidents:
Reduce Distractions Use Technology
Truckers are helping people understand how to minimize the distractions of technology. Many of these drivers not only have their mobile phones but a computer and other devices. The issue here is that with so many present distractions, it’s really hard to tune out everything.
To get started, see if your phone has “drive mode” or similar systems to help detect when you’re driving. When the phone looks at how quickly you’re moving, it can detect whether or not it should disable notifications and other features. Imagine how much you don’t need a notification from Candy Crush when you’re traveling at 70 miles per hour on I-75.
Reducing distractions in the best way you can. That means plugging your phone in, setting your navigation, and planning out your audiobook or music before you start driving. Then do your best to keep your phone out of reach. Tuck it into your console, cupholder, or even into the backseat.
Set Rules for Children in the Backseat
Speaking of the backseat, parenting is a distraction and one that you can’t turn off. But you can set boundaries such as “Everyone must wear their seatbelt at all times.” Other common rules include no shouting, no making requests other than a bathroom stop, and minimally distracting toys only. When you set out clear rules, it can be easier to parent from the front seat.
Make sure that your children understand that they have to follow these rules in every car. That if their grandma or an uncle says “no kicking the seat,” it’s a one-time warning, and it’s a rule forever.
Keep Your Passenger Seat for a Navigator
Your passenger seat person should know the way or have the navigation device such as your phone in their hand. What that means is that they can track the warnings for stopped traffic and more. The navigator will help you make decisions on when to slow down and when to pace yourself. It can help you to know when you have the straightaway without any traffic too.
Your navigator might not need a lot of experience in that your teenager can probably manage it, but they should have their primary focus on navigating.
Drive Defensively
The best way to reduce fatalities is to drive defensively. Many people hear “defensive driving,” and they think that the person is referring to passive driving. Now, passive driving is just as dangerous as aggressive driving in that it puts you, your passengers, and others on the road at high risk for a fatal car accident.
But, when you look at defensive driving, you’re constantly on the lookout for new opportunities to avoid a possible crash. Defensive driving involves scanning the roadway for people driving erratically, changes in traffic flow, and obstacles in the road.
Can Atlanta Car Crash Lawyers Help with Fatal Car Accidents?
Those who seek out help are likely to find many Atlanta attorneys happy to provide their services. But what you’ll need in terms of help is support either showing or disproving fault. To that extent, you’ll need someone who has an investigative mindset, knows how to handle evidence, and understands how to create a compelling argument. These aren’t difficult qualities to find in a lawyer.
At The Weinstein Firm, you’ll find these qualities in our attorneys and much more besides. Our team focuses on assessing the damages of the victim and doggedly pursuing financial compensation so that the victim can begin their recovery without the stress of medical and property debt. Contacting our law offices in Atlanta at The Weinstein Firm could be the first stop on your way to recovery.
