Crash prevention in Boston, Back Bay, Fenway, North End, South End, Allston, Beacon Hill, Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury and surrounding areas is important to avoid life-changing injuries and prevent fatalities. Part of crash prevention involves knowing what the most common types of accidents are and knowing the factors that can increase or decrease the likelihood of those accidents occurring. A personal injury lawyer knows, for example, that rear-end accidents account for about a third of all collisions in the United Studies. As a result, studies like the one recently published by the College of Engineering are very important to shed more light into why rear-end accidents happen.
Understanding Rear-End Accident Risks
Rear-end accidents are the most common accident type at signalized intersections, and these types of collisions cause 11.8 percent of fatal multi-vehicle accidents on U.S. roads. There are many different risk factors that explain why rear-end accidents are so common. Three primary things to consider when assessing the likelihood of rear-end accidents include the drivers involved; the type of vehicles involved; and the environment of the roads.
Many factors exist in determining who is more likely to cause rear-end crashes. Men are more likely to become involved in rear-end accidents than women are and are especially likely to be driving the striking vehicle rather than the car that is hit. Younger drivers are also more likely to be in the striking vehicle whereas older drivers are more likely to be struck. Younger drivers, especially aged 25 and under, tend to be both more aggressive and less attentive when they are operating their cars, which helps to explain why they are more likely to hit the car in front. Older motorists, on the other hand, are more likely to process information slowly and are more likely to be slower at making decisions or acting, especially in situations where multiple choices are available.
When it comes to vehicles, a driver in a passenger car is actually more likely to leave less space between his car and a light truck than between his car and another passenger vehicle. The front car's size has a big impact on whether a rear-end crash will happen. The harder it is for the rear motorist to see around, above or through the lead car to what is around him, the more likely it is that the driver in the rear-vehicle will follow very closely behind the front car. This increases the chance of a rear-end accident.
Finally, when it comes to road conditions, more traffic tends to mean that there is less space in between vehicles and thus that the risk of a rear-end accident is greater. Bad weather can also up the chances of a rear-end collision because when the roads are wetter, drivers are less likely to be able to stop in time to avoid hitting the lead car.
Motorists need to be aware of the risk factors of rear-end accidents and should make sure that they are being as careful as they can be while driving so they don't become the cause of a crash.
Boston accident victims may contact the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone at 1-800-WIN-WIN-1 or can visit https://www.marksalomone.com. Serving Boston, Back Bay, Fenway, North End, South End, Allston, Beacon Hill, Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury and surrounding areas.