Highway collisions are one of the leading causes of death in the United States. In fact, more than 300,000 people have died as a result of highway collisions and other forms of motor vehicle accidents.

Aside from those fatalities, highway collisions also result to millions of injuries ranging from minor harms like cuts and bruises, to catastrophic injuries like 3rd degree burns and paralysis.

There are different factors that may cause highway collisions. Some of those are:

Driver’s behavior and condition

One of the major causes of highway collisions is reckless driving and DUI. According to studies, 40 percent of all fatalities caused by vehicle accidents are alcohol related.

In addition, it is also the leading cause of death for American teens aged 15-20. Teenage drivers, aside from being prone to DUI, are considered inexperienced drivers and are more prone to speeding compared to older drivers.

This is the reason why young drivers have the highest car insurance premiums.

Another age bracket with a high rate of car insurance premiums is elderly drivers. This refers to drivers who are aged 70 years and up.

Elderly drivers tend to have poor eyesight and other physical impairments that reduce their driving skills. That is why most states require renewed testing for elderly drivers once they reach a certain age.

Vehicle design and condition

A well designed and well maintained vehicle (good brakes, tires, well-adjusted suspension, etc) is much more controllable in case of emergency.

However, some vehicle designs are much more susceptible to accidents than others. An example would be an SUV.

Because of its high center of gravity, it is more prone to vehicle rollover compared to low passenger cars like a sedan.

Because of the high number of highway collisions, a number of inventions came out through the years to curb the effects of car accidents.

Safety features like seatbelts, airbags, safety cages and others are designed to lessen the damage to a motorist and passengers during a collision.

Road design and conditions

A study shows that 34% of all highway collisions have roads and the environment as contributing factors.

A narrow road, does not give a motorist much space to recover or a sharp turn may cause an SUV to rollover.

A badly designed road may also contribute. An example would be lanes with wrong width, a narrow width length would increase the chances of side collisions as vehicles would be competing for the narrow lane.

Weather may also affect the road conditions as rain and snow may make the road slippery while fogs and mist decreases visibility on the road.

Cold weather may cause the formation of black ice or transparent ice strips on bridges. Because of its transparency, it is very difficult to spot and avoid until it’s too late.

Taking Action

If you have been involved in a highway collision, finding the cause and the liable party may be complicated.

A car accident attorney should be able to help you in this matter and help you in getting compensation from your or the liable party’s insurance company.