Did you know that around 77 percent of traffic accidents are caused by driver error? When an accident occurs that is not your fault, you may be able to file a personal injury claim. If you’ve been the victim in an auto accident, our Bangor personal injury attorneys can help you decide if you have a case. We offer free consultations and only get paid if you do, so there’s no risk in talking with us!
Here on the McCue Law Office blog, we share educational material for our Maine community. In today’s blog post, we’ll be sharing some driving statistics to help you better understand the risks of the road as well as how you can become a safer driver.
Texting and Driving
Texting and driving is one of the most dangerous behaviors that drivers have. Texting is a distraction that can cause accidents and while most people know it’s something you shouldn’t do behind the wheel, they believe they’re able to do so safely. Confidence in the ability to multitask is what leads to accidents. Using a GPS device to navigate is also a common cause of accidents, as people see it as a necessity and less dangerous than using a cell phone to text. Here are a few texting and driving statistics from The Zebra:
- Nine percent of all fatal crashes are caused by texting while driving.
- Seven percent of drivers are using cell phones at any given time.
- Answering a text distracts a driver for approximately five seconds. While this may not seem like much in our day-to-day lives, when you are traveling at 55 miles per hour, that is enough time to travel the entire length of a football field.
- 14 percent of fatal crashes involved cell phones.
These statistics don’t even include non-fatal crashes caused by cell phone use. When seven percent of the drivers on the road are using cell phones at any given time, the risk of one of those drivers causing an accident is extremely high. Our personal injury attorneys have had many clients who were the victims of accidents caused by a driver who was distracted by a cell phone. If you’ve been in an accident caused by someone texting and driving, we can help. Contact McCue Law Office in Bangor today to schedule a free consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers.
Teen Driver Statistics
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in teens. Teens are new to driving and are less likely to have built up safe driving habits. Teen driver crashes are primarily due to lack of scanning the area, speeding, and distractions, like other passengers or using a cell phone.
Parents can help teens manage the risks of driving by setting rules like always wearing a seat belt, limiting nighttime driving, and limiting peer passengers during the first year of driving independently.
Sharing teen driver statistics is also a way to help teens understand the risks associated with driving a motor vehicle. Here are a few teen driver statistics from Teen Driver Source that you can share:
- The risk of auto accidents is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than in any other age group.
- The most common crashes involve left turns, rear-ends, and driving off the road.
- About two-thirds of teens killed in crashes are male.
- Fifty-three percent of teen car crash deaths occur on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
Most Common Auto Accidents
There are as many different car accidents that can occur as there are drivers. However, most of these auto accidents can be placed into five general categories:
- Side-impact collisions – 27 percent of all vehicle passenger deaths
- Crashes while merging – when two lanes of traffic merge and one car sideswipes another. These auto accidents are usually caused by the person merging who hasn’t checked their blind spots.
- Rear-end accidents – these are the most frequent type of collision and make up 29 percent of all auto accidents.
- Head-on crashes – this type of accident is the most dangerous and often fatal.
- Multi-vehicle crashes – these occur on busy roads and highways and can be incredibly dangerous because your vehicle can be hit from multiple sides.
Whatever type of accident you’ve been in, our auto accident lawyers can help. A car accident can be severe and have long-lasting injuries and emotional damages. Our personal injury attorneys can help you get the compensation you need to make up for lost wages or pay for medical bills so that you can focus on healing.
McCue Law Office Personal Injury Attorney
We have more than 35 years of experience advocating for clients in Bangor and across Maine. We work with a variety of personal injury claims, including auto accidents, traffic accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, medical malpractice, and wrongful death. Learn more about what our personal injury lawyers can do for you.