Every day, people across the country see their lives disrupted by a car accident. A vehicle is damaged. A driver and their passengers are injured. In the worst-case scenario, a life is lost.
According to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, in a recent 12-month period, the state saw 284,157 traffic crashes, and 1,565 of those included a fatality.
Statistics on the national level are even more daunting. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in the first nine months of 2024, the U.S. saw 21,000 traffic deaths (a full report will be released later this year).
It is impossible to eliminate all motor vehicle accidents, but drivers must exercise caution and make efforts to prevent them from occurring. To help achieve this, they should be aware of the most common types of crashes to avoid potential pitfalls.
Here is a look at the most common causes of crashes leading to North Carolina car accident lawsuits.
Drunk driving: Drunk driving is a major issue throughout the country. It poses serious risks to both drivers and others on the road. Alcohol impairs judgment, coordination, reaction times, and motor skills, making safe driving nearly impossible.
In most states, including North Carolina, a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher is considered driving while impaired (DWI), but even lower levels can lead to danger. According to the NHTSA, a BAC of 0.02 percent (.06 below the legal limit) can cause a person to risk the ability to perform “two tasks at the same time (divided attention).”
While those who have had an alcoholic drink should never drive, sober drivers who suspect they are sharing the road with an intoxicated driver should move away to a safe distance. They should also report any dangerous behavior to authorities.
Speeding: While it is common knowledge that high-speed collisions are known to cause serious injuries to occupants of vehicles and even greater injuries to any pedestrians, motorcyclists, or cyclists hit, 30 percent of drivers admit to violating speeding regulations.
Speed limits exist for a reason, and they are set based on careful research. When drivers exceed the designated speed limit, they drastically reduce their reaction time to unforeseen circumstances and increase the severity of a crash leading to more catastrophic injuries.
The tragic consequences of speeding are evident in state statistics. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles reported that in 2023, over 23 percent of all traffic crash fatalities in the state were related to speeding.
Texting and driving: Roads are filled with distracted driving, and a major cause is cell phone use and texting. Although texting while driving is illegal in North Carolina, it still occurs. In 2023, there were 1,212 North Carolina car crashes involving cell phones.
Although cell phones have come to be regarded as invaluable tools for everyday life, the bottom line is simple. Taking eyes off the road to look at a phone, even for a moment, causes a driver to put their life and the lives of others in great danger.
When drivers get behind the wheel, they should put all distractions aside and concentrate on the road ahead. This means putting down the phone. It also means keeping a safe distance from drivers who they notice are using a cell phone or otherwise are distracted.
Large truck accidents: Truckers are known to work around the clock delivering needed supplies, food, and medicine across the U.S. At any given time, millions of trucks are moving on highways and within our communities assisting with waste management, emergency services, construction, and more.
Although these vehicles provide invaluable services, and rules are in place by the government for safety, sharing the roads with large trucks comes with risks. In 2023 thousands of crashes involving large trucks were reported in North Carolina alone.
Truck drivers must handle driving a vehicle often ten times larger than others they share the road with. The drivers face fatigue, difficult deadlines, and balancing heavy cargo. Other vehicle drivers should use caution when near these large vehicles. They should not pass a truck when it is backing up or about to back up and should give truckers extra room when they are turning.
Failure to yield: Another common cause of car crashes is drivers not adhering to right-of-way rules. The rules were created to determine which driver, cyclist, or pedestrian has priority in entering a street or intersection first.
If a driver fails to slow down for a vehicle that has the right of way and an accident happens, they could cause serious injury and be held liable for failure to yield.
Failure to yield also applies to drivers giving emergency vehicles the right of way and allowing pedestrians to have the right away at crosswalks. Drivers also must obey all yield signs and stop signs at intersections that do not stop in all directions.
Maneuvering the legal system after a North Carolina car accident caused by another driver can be complicated. Along with healing from injuries, a person must handle unexpected bills and the complexities of negotiating with insurance companies. At Whitley Law Firm Injury Lawyers, our experienced North Carolina car accident attorneys can offer you support to protect your rights and seek the compensation you need and deserve. For information call us at (919) 785-5000, or set up a free case consultation online.
Whitley Law Firm Injury Lawyers is a family affair—in all the ways that matter. Partner Ben Whitley works with his father and brother to create a formidable force when representing clients. After all, helping injured individuals—people who have the deck stacked against them when fighting corporations—is why the Whitleys got into the business in the first place.
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