Driver Behavior in Car Accidents
Driver behavior is one of the leading factors involved in car accidents. The way a driver is behaving and/or the condition of a driver plays a major role in the occurrence of car accidents.If you were injured in a car accident that resulted from another drivers negligent or reckless driver behavior, you may be entitled to compensation for your injury. In most cases, you will need the representation of a personal injury attorney to receive all of the compensation that you deserve.
In 2012, there were 5,419,000 motor vehicle accidents that were reported to the police. 33,561 people died in these car accidents, as compared to 32,479 in 2011. Of the total car accidents in 2010, 1,542,000 resulted in injuries, and 3,847,000 caused only property damage.
Important relation and influence
What role does driver behavior play in these car accidents? Here are some things regarding driver behavior which indicate its important relation to and influence on car accidents.
Alcohol consumption can greatly affect driver behavior. In 2012, 10,322 people were killed in alcohol-impaired car accidents. An alcohol-impaired car crash is one in which a drivers blood-alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08 percent or higher. This represented an increase in alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities of 4.6 percent, which accounted for 31 percent of all fatalities.
When you couple drunk driving with speeding, driver behavior is influenced even more. In 2011, 42 percent of drivers who had a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher that were involved in fatal car accidents were speeding. This is compared to 16 percent of drivers who were sober.
Speeding
Speeding by itself also has an affect on driver behavior. In 2011, 9,944 people died as a result of speed-related car accidents.
Distracted driving is another factor that influences driver behavior. The NHTSA defines distraction-affected crashes as car accidents that involve distractions like texting, dialing a cell phone or distraction by an outside event or person. According to the NHTSA, 3,328 people died in distraction-affected crashes in 2012, and an estimated 421,000 people were injured.
Fatigue is something that can greatly affect driver behavior. A survey that was released in November 2013 conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety revealed that 28.3 percent of licensed drivers age 16 or older said that during the past 30 days they had driven when they were so tired that they could hardly keep their eyes open. A survey that was done earlier showed that 41 percent of drivers admitted that they had fallen asleep or nodded off at least one time in their life while driving. 11 percent said this had occurred during the last year. After examining NHTSA data for the years 1999-2008, the AAA Foundation determined that around one in six fatal car accidents (16.5 percent) involved a drowsy driver.
Red light running
Driver behavior also involves red light running. Almost 2,000 people are injured every year and over 900 people are killed due to vehicles running red lights.
Again, if you were injured in a car accident that was due to another drivers negligent or reckless driver behavior, you may be entitled to compensation for your injury. However, to get all of the compensation you deserve will usually require the aid of a personal injury attorney.
Article written by James Shugart
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