Types of Car Accidents

Car accidents refer to road accidents where an automobile collides either with another vehicle (cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses), a pedestrian, or a geographical or architectural object.

Automobile accidents are usually caused by the following:

a) Driver behavior – This includes negligent acts such as driving under the influence, speeding and reckless driving.

b) Driver impairment – This includes old age and driver’s fatigue. Old-age causes poor eyesight and slower reflexes. An elderly driver is also more prone to falling asleep on the wheel or mistake the accelerator for the brakes. Driver’s fatigue meanwhile is proven to impair the driver’s reflexes, driving skills and road judgment.

c) Road conditions – Uneven roads and potholes are just examples of a poorly maintained road. The design of a road may also contribute on the risk of automobile accidents. A sudden sharp turn or incorrect lane widths are examples of poor road designs.

d) Weather Conditions – Rain, fog, mist and snow are known to cause accidents as a result of poor visibility and slippery roads.

e) Automobile defect – Defects on the design or manufacture of one of its parts are also known to be a cause of automobile accidents. A brake that does not stop on time or a tire that is not designed to hold the weight of the car are examples of parts defect that may lead to an automobile accident.

Automobile accidents usually fall in four common categories.

• Head-on collisions

• Accidents at junctions

• Run-offs

• Accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists

Head on and Side Swipe Collisions

Refers to automobile collisions where two vehicles’ front ends hit each other.

This is the most fatal type of collision as both vehicles meet the full impact of each vehicle’s accelerating force.

A head on crash between two vehicles running at 50 mph would actually be equal to the force of impact when a vehicle running at 100 mph hits a stationary object.

This is so dangerous in fact that although only 2 percent of all automobile accidents result in head-on collisions, it still accounts for about 10% of the total fatal crashes.

Crashes at Junctions

Crashes at junctions, also known as crashes in intersections, are one of the most common types of accident. Crashes at junctions can either be a head-on or side collision.

This is most common on urban areas with a lot of intersections. It is usually a result of negligent acts like speeding, DUI and beating a red light.

Run-Off

This type of automobile accident refers to single crashes where a car leaves the roadway.

Factors that usually contribute to run-off accidents are:

• Driver loses control of car due to car malfunction

• Driver tries to avoid road debris, animals or another road user

• Driver loses control due to slippery road.

Studies show that run-offs account for about 31 % of all fatal automobile accidents.

Pedestrians and Bicyclist

This refers to automobile collisions that involve a pedestrian or a bicyclist.

The usual cause of this type of automobile accident is low visibility. This could be caused by low visibility conditions like bad weather or lack of lighting especially at night.

Bicycles and pedestrians may also be moving on a car’s blind spot and the driver may fail to see them.

Driver behavior may also be a factor when a driver does not respect the right of way of pedestrians and bicyclists.

Pedestrian accidents account for 11% of all fatal automobile and car accidents.