You can sort the causes of catastrophic car accidents in many ways: by the age of the driver involved, by the type of road the accident happened on, or by the time of day — just to name a few examples.
To understand why these crashes happen with such frequency, though, it’s important to consider the fact that most accidents simply happen because people make mistakes. In fact, it has been argued that “accidents” shouldn’t even be referred to as accidents, since they are not the result of random chance. In almost every case, one driver has either made a mistake or failed to take proper action, leading to the crash.
Error rates of 90% and above
Despite the fact that many drivers try to act like they did nothing wrong, studies over the years, as reported by Stanford University, have put the error rates at 90% or more. This suggests that, at minimum, nine out of every 10 crashes happen because of human error. It is likely much higher, with some studies even edging up to 95% and above.
Why is this important to understand? It shows you the risks that you take on every time you drive. Perfection in your own driving isn’t enough. Those around you can still commit these errors or fail to drive properly, causing serious accidents. You put your life in their hands when you pull out of the driveway for your morning commute.
Examining your legal options
If you have been seriously injured in an accident someone else caused, make sure you know exactly what legal options you have.