According to government statistics, more than 25 percent of all motor vehicle accidents involve rear-end collisions. While these dangerous accidents can result from a variety of factors, a study published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) concluded that driver-assisting technologies can reduce the risk of rear-end collisions by as much as 40 percent:
“Vehicles equipped with front crash prevention are much less likely to rear-end other vehicles, IIHS has found in the first study of the feature’s effectiveness using U.S. police-reported crash data.
“Systems with automatic braking reduce rear-end crashes by about 40 percent on average, while forward collision warning alone cuts them by 23 percent, the study found. The autobrake systems also greatly reduce injury crashes.”
If a car, truck, or SUV can prevent an accident by braking in time to avoid a rear-end collision, a driver can too. In other words, most rear-end collisions can – and should – be avoided.
DRIVER NEGLIGENCE IN REAR-END COLLISIONS
Rear-end collisions occur under all types of scenarios. From highways backups to busy intersections, if one car is following another, there is a chance that the following driver will cause a rear-end accident. If the accident could have been avoided with safe driving, the following driver may be legally responsible for negligence, and this means that occupants of the vehicle that was rear-ended will be entitled to just compensation.
Some of the most-common forms of driver negligence involved in rear-end collisions include:
- Alcohol or drug intoxication (resulting in slower reactions, poor judgment, and visual impairment)
- Distracted driving (talking on the phone, texting, using social media and other distractions)
- Drowsy or fatigued driving (resulting in increased reaction time or falling asleep behind the wheel)
- Inattentiveness or inexperience (not observing the need to brake in order to avoid a collision)
- Speeding (driving too fast to stop in time to avoid a rear-end collision)
NON-DRIVER-RELATED CAUSES OF REAR-END COLLISIONS
In some cases, non-driver-related causes will play a role in rear-end collisions as well. For example, we have handled numerous cases involving:
- Vehicle Defects – Brake failures, tire failures and other defects that can result in sudden and unexpected loss of driver control.
- Road Defects and Hazards – Dangerous road conditions that can make it more difficult to stop, including visual obstructions, gravel and slippery pavement.
- Employer Negligence – Trucking companies and other employers hiring inexperienced drivers, forcing drivers to spend too many hours behind the wheel, and overloading trucks resulting in impaired braking.
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