What are the most common causes of Louisiana car accidents?

Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among people aged between 3 and 33. If you look closely at the latest statistics reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), you should not be surprised that the greatest threat to drivers is the drivers themselves.

What are the leading causes of vehicle crashes in our country?

1. Distracted driving: Various recent studies have pinpointed the growing importance of driver inattention as a cause of accidents, accounting for between 25 and 50 percent of all motor vehicle crashes. Among the many sources of distraction, two stand out: texting and “rubbernecking” (slowing down to gawk at another accident). Other distractions involve passengers, children or dogs, adjusting the radio, CD-player or GPS, calling and talking on the cell phone, or reading a paper, map or other document.
2. Driver fatigue: Most fatigue-related accidents occur between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., when people are used to sleeping. People also become drowsy between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., in many cases after the digestion of a meal sets in.
3. Drunk driving: Alcohol-related crashes killed some 13,000 people in 2009. More than 30 percent of all fatal crashes were caused by alcohol impairment, and this proportion varies widely according to place and time. In Louisiana, the proportion is 37 percent, and during weekends, the rate jumps to 53 percent.
4. Speeding: When a vehicle accelerates from 40 mph to 60 mph, the energy released in a crash more than doubles, and the distance required to stop increases in proportion. A staggering number of accidents are caused by drivers having “lost control” of their vehicle, which in many cases indicates that they were driving too fast.
5. Aggressive driving: Aggressive or reckless drivers are dangerous because they either want to cause harm or are indifferent to it. Their behavior needs to be reported at once to the Highway Patrol.
6. Bad weather: Looking at the weather warnings and pulling over to a stop are the best preventive measures to avoid serious accidents caused by torrential rains, fog, ice, snow or heavy winds.

If you have been the victim of a serious car or truck accident caused by someone else in Natchitoches, Leesville or Alexandria, contact immediately the attorneys of the Young Firm for a FREE consultation of your case at (504) 680-4100 (local) or (866) 660-7220 (toll free) or by sending us an e-mail.