Car and truck accidents

THREE REASONS WHY PEOPLE CAUSE CAR ACCIDENTS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY

There are many reasons why car accidents occur, but these are three big underlying causes of car crashes:

1. SPEED. In my experience speed has been the number one cause of car accidents. The typical car or truck accident involves a person driving a vehicle at a speed that is too fast for road conditions. What most drivers seem to forget is that the posted speed limit is for ideal weather and traffic conditions. When the maximum speed posted is 65, it does not mean it is safe or legal to drive 65 all the time.

The driver has to take into consideration the actual road conditions. The condition of the road is impacted by cars, commercial trucks, buses, trains, trollys, bicycles, motorcycles, horses and other animals, and the actual weather conditions. Almost all of us have experienced unusual road conditions such as bicycle races, bands of motorcycles, and excessive commercial trucks. Sometimes there are a dozen school buses which block the view and make it hard to see. Sometimes there are long trains which block a driver’s view or simply cause all traffic to come to a stop at unexpected times. During the last few years we have also seen and experienced fires in San Diego county which made it difficult to get around because of the danger and the smoke. As such we have to drive accordingly. Other weather conditions such as rain, snow, and wind can adversely affect the conditions of the road and make it difficult to drive at high speeds.

In San Diego and throughout Southern California drivers seem to forget that rain is dangerous when driving at high speeds. Invariably there area lot of accidents during a storm and following rain. These accidents are caused primarily, because of speed. The breaks don’t work the same and there is not enough friction on the road for the tires to stay in place. There is also oil on the surface of the road that is washed away and makes some on the pavement particularly slippery. When the roads are wet cars simply stop as quickly and car don’t drive the same. Water or water mixed with oil makes the roads very slipper and many drivers lose control and crash with other drivers. Rain also causes puddles of water which causes high cars going at high speeds to hydroplane, and cars often spin out of control and crash into other cars. Cars going at a high rate of speed will not be able to stop when another car or truck loses control.

Fog is often a problem in Northern California and in some spots in San Diego County. This is especially true for those driving late at night or very early in the morning. Amazingly some driver’s still drive at excessive speeds in the fog without knowing what is ahead of them. Sometimes there are stopped vehicles on the side of the road and drivers going at excessive speed are not aware and attempt to follow behind them only to discover they were parked cars after crashing.

Many drivers also like to follow too close for the speed they are driving at. Tailgating is very dangerous, because of the speeds at which drivers are going. Sometimes more than one driver is following too closely for the speed and when there is a need to stop abruptly this results in multiple vehicle collisions.

When drivers are going at excessively high speeds they also have less time to stop at stop signs and lights. Drivers going at excessive speeds often pass through orange and red lights and sooner or later crash with another vehicle.

The police report cites driving too fast for road conditions as the cause of the accident. You can decrease the odds of being involved in a car accident or truck accident by simply taking the actual road conditions into consideration and slowing down. You will have more time to react to a situation when you are driving at a slower pace and more time means a safer driving experience. You are also more likely to avoid colliding with unexpected things on the road, such as the unexpected appliance or a piece of furniture, and finally you are less likely to lose control in poor weather conditions. Generally speaking driving at excessive speed does not save much time unless the distance is several hundred miles. Most commutes are so short speed does not save you more than 1 to 5 minutes. At 70 miles per hour on a 20 mile commute you will take about 20 minutes to arrive at your destination and at 50 it will take about 25 minutes to arrive at your destination and this does not take into account the fact that you have to accelerate to get to the stop speed and then slow down to stop, which reduces your 5 minute savings to maybe 3 minutes.

2. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. This is probably the second biggest cause of car accidents. California has been tough about enforcing its laws around the holidays and has probably cut down the number of DUI related car accidents, but car crashes involving DUI defendants continue. For a driver this is the worst type of accident to be involved in, because these car accidents usually cause greater harm than other types of car accidents.

When a driver is caught driving under the influence of alcohol there are often criminal sanctions which includes fines and sometimes jail time. There are other consequences that follow such as loss of the driver’s license and increases in insurance rates. The injured party also has a substantial advantage in bringing a lawsuit, because jurors have no sympathy for someone convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. The victim can also sue for punitive damages which can increase the jury award by a factor of up to seven times. Punitive damages are designed to make an example of the person driving under the influence of alcohol to deter others as well as the culprit from engaging in that type of behavior. Generally speaking these type of cases do not go to trial, because the risk of punitive damages is very high and can lead to bankruptcy and therefore poor credit for many years.

Most DUI car accidents occur at night, but some occasionally some place during the day time. Generally the owner of the car is also the driver and the defendant, but sometimes driver is not the owner of the car and the owner of the car becomes a defendant as well

Even though there has been a strong stance against driving under the influence of alcohol the number of DUI cases still remain high. Most drivers involved in DUI car accidents regret their actions after the fact and often the experience has significant consequences. After a third or fourth conviction of DUI a defendant may be sent to prison and it does not matter that he has a job and is the sole provider for young children. In one of my more recent cases, the driver and defendant was in her early 20s and consumed about eight alcoholic beverages. One her way back home she go confused with the traffic lanes and killed a pedestrian. She ran from the accident scene and tried to hide the evidence, but was caught within a matter of minutes. In another instance a man killed another one in a car crash and surprisingly those he thought were his friends quickly turned on him. You should never drink and drive and you should be very careful as to who you lend your vehicle to.

3. AGE. The third cause of car crashes seems to be age related. As drivers get older their ability operate a car safely declines. Elderly drivers cannot see very well and their reaction time declines l. About 25% of all cases handle by my firm involves an elderly defendant. Most of these car accidents are caused by the elderly involve defendants that fail to yield the right of way when making left hand turn and defendant’s that run stop signs. There is not much that can be done about aging, but you should plan for a means of getting around without your own car and should consider alternate means of transportation. Driving in your later years when you know you should not be driving puts you in danger of serious injury to yourself those in your community. Also keep in mind that most of these accidents do not result in death, but do result in long term injuries that cause severe pain and discomfort for many years.

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