What are the worst types of road accidents ... and what can you do to stay safe?
Besides a few reckless drivers that drive in a manner that implies a disregard for their lives or the lives of others, most Americans are careful drivers. Sadly, slightly over 100 people still die on American roads every day.
While no car accident is a pleasant experience, some accidents tend to be deadlier than others. Knowing the worst type of accidents and how to avoid them is one step towards ensuring you avoid getting into one.
Here are some of the worst accidents on American roads and tips on avoiding them.
1. Accidents Involving Trucks
Accidents involving two cars are dangerous enough. However, the danger increases significantly when a truck or a bus is involved. A loaded truck weighs as much as 80,000 pounds, approximately twenty times the weight of an average car.
With such weight on wheels, a collision with an average car will have all the odds stacked against the car occupants, with most accidents involving trucks causing catastrophic injuries and deaths.
The good news is that you may be eligible for compensation if a truck driver is to blame for the accidents. However, you must first report the accident to the insurance company so they can issue a truck accident claim number that you can use as evidence that you opened a claim.
Dealing with insurance companies without a lawyer may expose your vulnerability to the opposing side, meaning they may deny your claim or make a low settlement offer.
Therefore it is always important to get the help of a lawyer when navigating an injury claim.
2. Angle or T-Bone Accidents
Angle collisions or side impacts are the most prevalent. They occur mostly at intersections when one driver fails to yield the right of way, with 2020 accounting for over 45% of all collisions and more than 8,000 deaths.
Unlike front collisions where the vehicle's crumple zone, the safety belt, and airbags protect the driver, the vehicle's relatively light wall is the only shield in a side-impact accident. That means these accidents expose vehicle occupants to almost the full impact of the accident resulting in deadly consequences.
Avoiding T-bone accidents is simple. Stop at a red light and yield right of way when you should.
3. Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions are second on the list of the most dangerous types of accidents. In 2020 alone, head-on collisions accounted for 28.6 percent of all traffic accidents and resulted in approximately 5,000 fatalities.
There are two main types of head-on collisions; collisions with a stationary object or collisions with a moving vehicle. The latter is the more dangerous of the two because it involves two vehicles in motion meaning the force of impact will be double that of an impact with a statically object.
Head-on collisions are mostly caused by speeding and overtaking dangerously. Also, it could result from a faulty vehicle part, such as failed brakes. To avoid a head-on collision, ensure that you drive at safe speeds based on the conditions, never drive while intoxicated, and watch out for reckless drivers.
4. Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end accidents are also pretty dangerous. These accidents account for an average of 15% of all road accidents. They involve a collision between two vehicles moving in the same direction where the front bumper of one car bumps into the rear end of another.
The most common cause of these accidents is following too closely, road rage, distracted driving, and changing lanes at the wrong time.
You can do a few things to avoid causing a rear-end accident, such as maintaining a safe following distance, driving at a safe speed based on prevailing conditions, avoiding distracted driving, and activating your vehicle's driver-assist features, if it has any.
There are also a few things you can do to avoid being rear-ended. For example, avoid braking suddenly, be on the lookout for tailgaters, and use your turn lights properly when changing lanes.
