It can seem like every day we hear a news report of a head-on collision that recently occurred. These are often the types of accidents in which there are serious injuries and deaths.
Thousands of people across the U.S. are involved in these accidents each year. In fact, over 3,500 deaths occurred in 2019 because of a head-on collision. The majority of these accidents occur when one vehicle leaves their lane and enters into the lane of approaching traffic. But what cause these serious and potentially fatal accidents?
Distracted driving
Electronic devices, mainly cell phone usage, is often a major cause of a head-on collision. When a person is reading their text messages, scrolling through Facebook, or replying to an email, their eyes are off the road, and they are not paying attention. Drivers can also be distracted by their vehicle’s infotainment system, other passengers, or even road-side attractions.
Drunk or impaired driving
Drugs and alcohol can affect a person’s ability to drive safely. It can impair their senses, slow down their reaction time and impair their judgement. Of note, even properly prescribed drugs can have severe side effects that can impair driving. This can often lead to serious car accidents.
Reckless driving
Drivers who speed, attempt to pass in an unsafe manner, swerve into oncoming traffic or lose control of their vehicle can cause head-on collisions. Those who skirt the rules or fail to obey traffic safety laws can cause these severe crashes.
Driver fatigue
When a driver is fatigued, they can fall asleep behind the wheel and cause a serious accident. Fatigue can be caused by many things – long work hours, poor sleep, or other – but the end result can still be devastating.
If a family has been affected by a head-on collision, they may want to speak with a legal professional who vast experience with personal injury. An attorney can visit the accident scene and interview witnesses to help their client understand what happened. Compensation may be available for medical expenses, pain and suffering, funeral expenses, lost wages and other damages.
