What Is the Leading Cause of Car Accidents in Huntsville Texas?

A motor vehicle accident can result in significant injuries, vehicle damage and an overall loss in quality of life. Fortunately, a car accident attorney can help you hold those responsible for causing your wreck accountable for their actions. It may be possible to obtain compensation for medical bills, lost wages and vehicle repair bills. Let’s take a closer look at some of the leading cause of car accidents in Huntsville, Texas.

Driving While Under the Influence

One of the first things that a car accident lawyer will likely want to find out is if the other driver was under the influence when your wreck occurred. Technically, a motorist is under the influence after consuming anything that impairs that person’s ability to drive a vehicle in a safe manner.

Common intoxicants include alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs. However, someone could be under the influence of LSD or the can of aerosol spray that the defendant huffed prior to getting into the car.

It’s possible for a person to be under the influence of more than one substance at the same time. For instance, a driver could drink alcohol, smoke marijuana and then drive a motor vehicle.

There are many reasons why driving while under the influence is dangerous. First, it can interfere with a motorist’s ability to process information, which may make it difficult to come to a complete stop at a red light or maintain an adequate following distance.

The use of prescription drugs may increase the risk of falling asleep while behind the wheel. It’s important to note that a person can be considered under the influence even after using drugs that were prescribed to that individual.

Ultimately, a motorist is responsible for avoiding negligent actions at all times. A negligent act is one that a reasonable person knew or should have known could cause harm to others. A car crash lawyer will analyze toxicology reports, witness statements and other evidence to determine whether the defendant was likely impaired at the time of a wreck.

Of course, those aren’t the only dangers of driving while impaired. In some cases, an impaired driver might drive at an excessive rate of speed or make other decisions without any regard for others on the road. This is partially because an impaired motorist will have reduced inhibitions as well as a decreased sensitivity to pain.

The decrease in inhibitions also explains why drivers who get into wrecks while drunk or under the influence of other intoxicants tend to walk away unscathed. A lack of awareness about what is going on means that their bodies don’t tense before impact, which helps to minimize their injury risk.

Excessive Speed Can Contribute to an Accident

Another common cause of motor vehicle wrecks is traveling at an excessive rate of speed. When a vehicle is traveling at a high rate of speed, it becomes harder to remain in control of it. This is especially true when traveling on roads covered in ice, rain or snow.

It can also be harder to process information while traveling at high rates of speed. It may be harder to read road signs, take in changes to traffic patterns or otherwise comprehend what is going on around the vehicle.

Even if a driver does notice a change in traffic pattern, it can be difficult to take evasive action in a timely manner. This is because a car traveling at 80 miles per hour needs a lot more room to stop compared to one traveling at 50 miles per hour.

It’s also possible that the brakes will lock up or otherwise have trouble working properly when pressed too hard. In such a scenario, a vehicle might skid off of the road or into oncoming traffic while trying to avoid rear-ending traffic that has stopped on the highway.

Finally, excessive speed can be an issue because the faster a car is going, the more energy it will release upon impact. This is why you’re at a greater risk of getting seriously hurt in an accident with a vehicle going 80 miles per hour than one going 10 miles per hour.

A car crash attorney will look at a police report, photos or other evidence to find clues that speed caused the wreck to occur. For instance, there may be a lack of skid marks on the road, indicating that the defendant failed to slow down prior to impact. Alternatively, the composition of skid marks may indicate how fast the defendant’s vehicle was traveling prior to impact.

Distracted Driving Can Be Especially Hazardous

An auto accident attorney may determine based on the evidence presented that you were the victim of a distracted driver. Typically, anything that takes a driver’s focus off of the road is considered a distraction, and in some cases, a motorist can be distracted in multiple ways.

For instance, if someone is using a cellphone while driving, it can cause a visual distraction because that person’s eyes are off of the road. It can also cause a mental distraction because a person using a cellphone is unlikely to be thinking about road conditions. Finally, to access the phone, a motorist will likely need to take their hands off of the steering wheel.

It’s worth noting that a car can travel about 100 yards in about five seconds while traveling at normal highway speeds. It typically takes about five seconds to glance down at your phone and back at the road even if you don’t answer a call or check an incoming text message.

Although cellphones are the most typical form of distraction motorists deal with, it is not the only type of distraction. For instance, if a defendant was eating at the time of a wreck, your auto accident lawyer may claim that you were the victim of a distracted motorist. The same might be true if the defendant was taking a drink, putting on makeup or doing anything other than focusing on road conditions.

Getting lost in thought may be considered driving while distracted. This often occurs when a person is driving on a familiar route to work each morning or spends a lot of time driving on highways where the scenery and speed limits rarely change. Impaired driving can also be considered a distraction as it reduces a motorist’s ability to focus on road conditions.

There are multiple lines of evidence that you might use to prove that your wreck was caused by a distracted driver. For example, cellphone records might indicate that the defendant answered an incoming call or sent a text message seconds before impact. A witness might state that the driver was eating a burger before impact or that there was an open container of alcohol in the defendant’s center console.

A police report or report from your insurance company might also indicate whether the defendant might have been distracted. Video footage or photos from the scene might also help establish that the defendant wasn’t paying attention when the wreck took place.

Tired Drivers Are Dangerous Drivers

Fatigued driving is perhaps overlooked as a roadway hazard because society generally considers it a badge of honor to keep going no matter how tired you are. However, a car collision attorney will likely provide more context for just how dangerous it can be to drive after not sleeping for 24 hours or longer.

Research suggests that driving after staying awake for 24 hours is the equivalent to driving with a blood alcohol content of .10%. To put that figure into context, you can’t operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of more than .08%.

A tired motorist will experience much of the same types of impairment as someone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For instance, fatigue can impact a person’s reaction time, make it harder to process information and make it harder to maintain the correct lane.

Tired motorists may also forget where they are or forget that other motorists are on the road with them. Therefore, a fatigued driver may be more likely to make a sudden lane change in an effort to avoid missing an exit or make other rash decisions with little or no warning to others.

In many cases, the best evidence that a driver was tired will likely come from footage at the scene. You’ll likely notice the defendant struggling to stand up, speak or otherwise engage normally with officers or others at the site of the crash. The defendant may also acknowledge either to police or to others that fatigue played a role in the crash.

A toxicology report may indicate that fatigue or drowsiness was caused by sleeping pills or other medication. This may make it easier to prove that the defendant knew that his or her actions were negligent or potentially reckless. Ultimately, you will likely have an easier time obtaining the level of compensation that you want through settlement talks or at trial.

Poor Vehicle Maintenance Can Increase the Risk of a Crash

A tire that is not properly inflated is at an increased risk of a blowout, which can cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle. A vehicle with poor brakes may not be able to stop in time to avoid a collision, and this is especially true on roads covered in leaves or other slippery materials.

Vehicles that have old or defective lights may be difficult or impossible to see at any time of the day. They may also be harder to see when it is raining out or during other periods of inclement weather.

Your car collision lawyer may request maintenance records to determine if the defendant took care to keep their car in good condition. If not, that may be another negligent action that you could obtain compensation for.

If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident for any reason, you’re encouraged to reach out to an attorney. At a minimum, doing so will help you learn more about your rights and how to protect them. An attorney may file a lawsuit in your case even if you plan on settling outside of court. This may ensure that you have an avenue for obtaining a favorable outcome in your case if settlement talks fail to yield a positive result. Learn more about the leading cause of car accidents in Texas with the Annual Texas motor vehicle crash statistics from TXDOT.