Research compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration in 2009 showed that driving errors accounted for 90% of all crashes. It’s unlikely that such a statistic has changed much in the past 10 years. We still have a problem with motorists driving while intoxicated, drowsy or distracted here in Connecticut. All of this can impair a motorist’s ability to adequately react to other vehicles when merging and passing them. This can result in crashes.
One piece of technology that many motorists use that can cause them serious distractions are navigation devices. Drivers must be able to focus on driving on the correct side of the road and follow their route all the while adhering to traffic signs and regulations. Motorists must also be in constant and continuous control of the vehicle. A motorist who focuses too much attention on their navigational device may take their eyes and hands off the road. This could result in them becoming involved in a crash.
Motorists who are intoxicated often struggle to make sound decisions, something that’s critical when someone is operating a car. A motorist that’s driving under the influence (DUI) may easily lose track of their speed, not realize that there’s an intersection ahead, cross into oncoming traffic and not adhere to traffic signs and signals. All of these behaviors can result in a motorist becoming involved in a serious crash.
It takes time for different occurrences to register in a driver’s brain. This sometimes means that they only get a matter of seconds to respond to changes in traffic conditions. A simple distraction is all it takes for some type of driver error to occur.
There are instances in which intersection accidents even happen without there being any outside distractions. Motorists get confused about how to respond to traffic signals, drift into the wrong lane or fail to anticipate how long it will take to make it to the intersection or come to a complete stop.
Driving can be very dangerous for anyone who takes to the road here in Fairfield. It’s not uncommon for motorists to run a stop sign or fail to yield the right of way. Each driver is unique. Their driving patterns are often unpredictable. This is why accidents occur. An attorney can assist you in recovering compensation from the negligent party if their inattentiveness left you with serious injuries.
