Driver errors in judgment are the biggest cause of accidents in California. That can include the decision to take one’s eyes from the road.
A study from the NHTSA showed that in accidents where the driver was found at fault, driver attention issues were the most common reason. That includes distractions and a focus on things other than the road. Reckless decisions by the driver, including speeding, were a close second.
The Numbers Behind the Causes of Car Accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) studied U.S. car accidents over a three-year period. They focused on accidents blamed on drivers. The findings showed that around 41 percent of the crashes could be blamed on recognition errors by the person behind the wheel. That includes drivers who put their attention on the wrong things while traveling.
These are just a few of the recognition errors that lead to California traffic accidents:
- Cell phone use
- Texting
- Daydreaming
- Focus on the passengers in the vehicle
- Focus on radio
- Eating at the wheel
- Focus on scenery
- Driving while drowsy
Driver distraction is a major problem on California freeways and boulevards. California’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) recorded 123 fatalities blamed on accidents involving distracted drivers in 2023. That was down slightly from the 137 tragic deaths recorded in 2022 and 152 in 2021.
Of course, these figures can’t be taken at face value. There are likely many more serious accidents caused by distracted driving. Drivers don’t usually admit when they were looking at their cellphones before a collision. Investigating officers also have a hard time proving the driver wasn’t paying attention at the time of an impact.
Speeding in California Accidents
The NHTSA study also revealed that 34 percent of accidents blamed on drivers involved bad decisions. This could include things like deciding to break the speed limit or drive aggressively.
Around 34 percent of accidents in the U.S. were found to be caused by drivers who acted recklessly.
SWITRS statistics show that there were 1,074 lives lost due to accidents involving speeding in 2023. That was down slightly from 2022 numbers, when 1,148 people were killed in accidents involving speeding.
The Dangers of Intersections For Drivers
The revealing study from the NHTSA also pointed to a location that was associated with the most accidents.
Around 36% of all accidents in the U.S. occurred while vehicles were passing through an intersection. That included straight travel and turns.
Intersections are a bad spot to also add driver inattention. Additional focus is needed when motorists must watch oncoming traffic and monitor pedestrians and cyclists as they try to navigate a busy crossroads. This can be overwhelming and lead to mistakes. It gets all the harder when drivers are focused on their cellphones or on something that catches their eye to the right or left.
Find Support If You Are in a California Traffic Accident
Motorists who are injured by another driver’s poor decisions should never have to pay for an ambulance ride and hospital bills by themselves. Victims can seek help with their recovery costs through a personal injury claim. This claim demands support from at-fault drivers and their car insurance companies.
Unfortunately, car insurance companies look for ways to limit the support victims receive. In cases involving serious injuries, victims can benefit from having a legal representative handle their cases. Maison Law offers a free car accident case consultation to all victims.
There’s no obligation for this free case review, but if you decide we can earn you more for your recovery, you won’t need any money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee is paid out of the settlement money that a car insurance company is forced to pay you.
