Causes of Car Accidents in LA
In September of 2012, Weather.com named Los Angeles, California as the #2 worst traffic city in the nation. With almost 4 million people living within the boundaries of the city and almost four times that much in surrounding areas, it is notably cramped when it comes to roadways. While traffic can be bad enough, Los Angeles is also notoriously known for being prone to car accidents; Allstate listed it as #182 on its list of safest cities for car accidents - stating that while driving in the City of Angels, drivers were 50.8 percent
more likely to get into a collision when compared to the national averages.
What commonly causes car crashes?
According to Allstate, "human behavior is the biggest cause of accidents." Unfortunately, this is all too true. While there are certain extenuating factors which can cause accidents outside of driver control-such as defects in the road, inclement weather and faulty auto parts-most accidents are caused by drivers who are engaging in risky, negligent or thoughtless behavior. For example, a teenage driver may be poorly trained or more prone to distractions; even if they are in perfect conditions, their behavior alone could cause a crash.
Per a NHTSA crash causation study, the following are common causes of crashes:
- 41 Percent - Recognition errors, such as inattention;
- 34 Percent - Decision errors, such as aggression; and
- 10 Percent - Performance errors, such as overcorrecting.
The most common cause of accidents was, by far, an error regarding recognition. NHTSA noted that inadequate surveillance was the most common cause of accidents. The other common recognition errors include internal and external distractions and inattention. Close behind recognition errors, however, were errors in decision making. This could be a driver going too fast for the current conditions or too fast around a curve. It also includes a driver falsely assuming another driver would do something, as well as performing illegal and dangerous maneuvers. Other decision errors that commonly caused accidents included misjudging the speed of other cars, tailgating, as well as driving aggressively.
Injured in a car accident? Contact Lagstein Law Firm!
No matter the cause of your accident, if you or a loved one has been injured, you should not hesitate to seek high-quality legal representation as soon as possible. At Lagstein Law Firm, their Los Angeles personal injury lawyers are dedicated to providing clients with trustworthy assistance geared toward helping them seek maximum monetary compensation. They proudly offer their clients representation that is dedicated, compassionate and fearless. If you are interesting in scheduling a free case evaluation with the firm, simply pick up the phone and give them a call.