The vast majority of journeys we make in our vehicles pass without an incidence; however, there are still an estimated six million road accidents per year in the USA alone. With around 290 million registered vehicles in the US, this means the chances are relatively high that you’ll be involved in a crash at some point in your life.
Who to Contact
If you find yourself involved in a motor vehicle accident (no matter how minor), you must stop your vehicle immediately, assess the damage (to both vehicles and individuals), exchange details with other drivers/passengers, and contact the police.
You should also contact your insurance company and attorney as soon as possible – or, if you’re driving a larger vehicle like a truck, you should seek specialist legal advice from a truck accident attorney or similar.
Most road accidents pass without dangerous complications; however, incidents can result in life-changing injuries or death in more serious cases. Consequently, it’s useful to know the most common types of road accidents so you can be more aware of the potential dangers and be more alert.
Rear-end collisions
Rear-end crashes are by far the most common type of road accident and account for almost 30% of all crashes. In a rear-end crash, one vehicle collides into the back of another – often caused through heavy braking by the car in front or driver inattention in the car behind. It’s also not uncommon for rear-end collisions to involve more than one vehicle resulting in a pile-up.
Head-on crashes
Head-on crashes happen when a vehicle crashes directly into the front of another vehicle coming from the opposite direction. This type of accident is easily the most dangerous and causes more occupant deaths than any other type of crash. The speed and stresses generated by frontal impact accidents can be huge so, even if you’re lucky enough to escape death, serious injury is likely. Head-on accidents are most common on rural roads where poor lighting, narrower roads, or drivers cutting corners are often blamed.
Side-impact crashes
A side-impact crash occurs when a vehicle passes perpendicular to other traffic’s travel direction, e.g., when turning into or crossing over another road. These so-called’ T-bone’ accidents are rising, making motor experts speculate that faster cars and traveling speeds are to blame.
Single crashes
Driving while drowsy or distracted can cause a driver to leave the road and have a single-car crash. Other common causes are driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, simply losing control of the vehicle through driving too quickly, or bad weather. Single-car crashes frequently involve hitting another object like a wall, tree, fence, etc., bringing the vehicle to an abrupt standstill.
Pedestrian crashes
Colliding with a pedestrian carries an inherent danger as they have zero protection against the impact, resulting in very serious consequences.
Low-speed bumps and collisions
Although low-speed crashes aren’t particularly dangerous, they can still cause injuries. While low-speed equates to low-impact, these types of accidents can still result in whiplash, bruising, etc. that could require medical attention.
