The Alameda Times-Star, located in Oakland, just published a very interesting article about car accidents.  In it are listed the six worst driving mistakes that lead to car accidents.

Take it from us, as auto accident lawyers we know many of the top causes of car accidents.  One of our main goals is to educate drivers on how exactly an automobile accident takes place.  There is always a cause, and often times, a car accident is caused by a driver’s mistake.

Here is what the Alameda Times-Star listed as the Six Worst Driving Mistakes that can lead to auto accidents:

According to California’s Office of Traffic Safety, there were 149,258 car crashes in California caused by speeding in 2007.  As car accident lawyers, we agree that speeding causes way too many accidents, as drivers have less time to react when driving at higher speeds – not to mention the fact that personal injury at a higher rate of speed will likely be more serious and cause wrongful death.  According to this car accident statistic, nearly 150,000 automobile accidents could have been averted if drivers just obeyed the speed limit and drove at a safer speed.

They come in all shapes and sizes, but improper, bad turns cause a ton of car accidents.  All told, bad turns caused 85,967 auto accidents in California in 2007, so be careful and wait for the ride of way when turning left at an intersection.

  • Bad Merging

Who would have guessed that the third-highest cause of auto accidents in 2007 was bad merging?  Bad merging usually causes car accidents when vehicles are merging on to the highway, so a good driver would be careful and safely change lanes over to the left (when possible) to help accommodate merging traffic.

  • Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of Alcohol and Drugs

Shockingly, the total number of auto accidents caused by drunk-driving and car accidents caused by driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs was just the fourth highest cause of car accidents.  While gains are being made in the crusade against drunk-driving car accidents, drowsy driving caused 1,404 wrongful deaths in 2007.  That number is too high for auto accident attorneys.

  • Drifting Out of Lane

In 2007, 15,574 car accidents occurred when drivers allowed their cars to simply drift out of their lanes.  A major cause of fatal car accidents, drifting off road is a one-way ride to a wrongful death.

Whether it is talking on their cell phones, eating fast food takeout or getting caught gazing at some scenery, distracted drivers amounted to 4,704 wrongful deaths in 2007.  Other common distractions that cause car accidents: sipping coffee, applying makeup and playing with the car stereo.

Overall, this list tells us several things.  First off, speeding causes more car accidents than anything else that a driver can do wrong.  Speeding is a major problem and needs to be stopped by law enforcement officials.  The second fact from this list is that failing to observe the right of way (improper turns, bad merging and drifting out of lanes) is another major driving mistake that can be eliminated by having drivers pay attention (and not allowing themselves to be distracted by a cell phone, for instance).

As car accident lawyers, we are glad that someone took the time to help diminish these staggering car accident statistics currently plaguing this country.  Car accidents cause pain and suffering, loss of earnings and high medical bills.  If more people were aware of the causes of auto accidents, maybe we could prevent a few from leading to wrongful death.

Call us now or click here for a FREE CONSULTATION with an experienced automobile accident lawyer as to how we may help you at 1-858-551-2090.  We look forward to providing good advice to help you make smart decisions about your case in either English or Spanish.