Recent data published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) suggests that three of the most common types of car crashes are rear-end, front-end and side-impact ones. They suggest that each of these common accidents can be avoided by motorists knowing how they occur and taking precautions to avoid them.
Rear-end crashes
Rear-end crashes are most apt to occur either on interstates or along other heavily trafficked roadways. They often occur because motorists drive too aggressively or too close to those in front of them.
This type of accident can be avoided if a motorist keeps a safe distance from others and avoids suddenly applying their brakes. IIHS data shows that newer vehicles equipped automatic braking or forward-collision warning systems have reduced these types of crashes in recent years by as much as 25 percent.
The systems that are most effective at warning motorists of potential dangers include the ones that provide either visible or audio alerts of a potential crash.
Front-end crashes
As for front-end crashes, in 2016, they accounted for just under 55 percent of all accidents that occurred that year. They most often involve a vehicle either striking another car or an inanimate object in front of them.
They’re most apt to take place if the road’s surface is slippery due to snow, ice or rain. A driver can best avoid this type of accident by driving slower and remaining focused on road and their driving.
Side-impact crashes
Side-impact crashes are most likely to happen at intersections when one motorist thinks that they have the right of way when they really do not. They often occur when one driver continues straight while another motorist attempts to make a turn on a green arrow.
These types of crashes also happen when two motorists driving in parallel lanes graze one another. IIHS data shows that at least one-quarter of all major crashes in 2016 were side-impact ones.
Sideswipe incidents can be avoided by motorists taking a second look before changing lanes. T-bone ones can best be avoided by motorists not attempting to run a yellow light or looking both ways before proceeding through an intersection.
Motorists who are injured in car accidents may be eligible for compensation provided that it can be determined what or who caused the car crash. Once that happens, a Chicago motor vehicle accidents attorney can craft a case aimed at getting you fair compensation.