According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in 2018 in the United States, 36,560 people lost their lives in 33,654 fatal motor vehicle collisions. While that statistic may be distressing enough to you, there are many more accidents occurring every year that, while not fatal, nevertheless result in serious injury.
Not all automobile collisions are the same. Certain types of car accidents happen more often than others. They have various causes and can result in different injuries. Here are a few of the accidents that occur most often and how you may be able to prevent them.
- Side-impact collision
Also known as T-boning, this type of accident occurs when the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another. It can cause serious injury to the people sitting on the side of the car where the other vehicle strikes it. You can prevent a side-impact collision by observing all rules of the road when making left turns and slowing down on yellow rather than speeding up to try to beat the light.
- Hydroplaning collision
When the road is wet due to rain or snow, it can reduce the traction of your car’s tires. Driving too fast on wet roads can cause your tires to lose contact with the road entirely and float on a thin layer of water. The word for this is hydroplaning, and you may be able to avoid it by reducing your speed when the roads are wet.
- Rear-end collision
A rear-end collision occurs when one vehicle crashes into the back of another. The rapid back-and-forth motion that results can cause injuries to your head or neck, some of which may be severe. The most common cause of rear-end collision is driver inattention. There is little that you can do to protect yourself from a rear-end collision. In fact, you may not even see it coming. However, you can avoid rear-ending someone else by avoiding driving distractions.
