The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) records over 6 million car accidents annually and over 40,000 wrongful deaths. We all know that the interstates around Birmingham, through Shelby County, and the heavy tourist roadways in Panama City Beach, Destin, and Panama City are the daily scenes of crashes involving cars, motorcycles, and pedestrians and too often result in serious injuries and deaths. I've been representing crash victims for over 25 years throughout Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Here are the top 10 causes of crashes that Davidson Law Firm sees:
#1. Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is the leading cause of car crashes nationally and Alabama and Florida crashes are not exceptions. Anything that causes a driver to take their brain off the road increases the odds of causing a crash. Texting and talking on the phone while driving is especially dangerous and is much more dangerous than even drunk driving. Scientific studies of brain function while driving proves that even using the speakerphone or voice texting doesn’t make it any safer. It’s so dangerous that in some other countries phones don’t even work over certain speeds!
#2. Speeding
Speeding causes crashes. Speed kills. It’s that simple. You are not a professional race car driver and real life isn’t a movie. Slow down. Every additional mile per hour is more force that causes more damage and more injuries in a collision. The odds of surviving a crash driving over 60 mph start dropping rapidly and anything over 80 mph is likely going to be fatal as your car’s design and safety features will no longer protect you. Head on collisions, usually caused by passing when you shouldn’t, are nearly all fatal for people in both cars because the impact is at combined speed of both vehicles.
#3. Driving Under the Influence
I still can’t believe we have to say this but driving under the influence, either by alcohol or drugs, is still a leading cause of crashes, injuries, and fatalities. When drivers are under the influence, their judgment, vision, coordination, and reaction time are all be impaired. There simply is no reason for driving under the influence with all of the alternatives like ride sharing apps available today.
#4. Reckless Driving
Reckless driving is when someone drives in an unsafe way and shows a disregard for the rules of the road and other’s safety. This can include speeding much faster than the speed limit, weaving through traffic, ignoring traffic signs and signals, making unsafe lane changes, tailgating, and not yielding the right of way. Road rage is increasingly the cause of crashes. Acts like honking the horn excessively, flashing headlights, rude gestures, or shouting at other drivers increases the risk of crashes leading to confrontations, assaults, and collisions that could cause injuries or even death. The news reports in Birmingham and Panama City and across Alabama and the Florida Panhandle are full of road rage crashes resulting in injury or death. Settle down out there.
#5. Right of Way
Failure to Yield. Pay attention and wait your turn! Other vehicles and even bicycles and pedestrians have the right to the roadway as well. When you fail to yield the right of way everyone else is caught off guard and then we have crashes and flared tempers.
Running Red Lights and Stop Signs. This is a huge problem around Birmingham, growing Shelby County, Alabama, and from Panama City through to Fort Walton Beach. This extremely dangerous act of blowing through intersections causes high-impact crashes and serious injuries or death.
#6. Unsafe Lane Changes
You aren’t Ricky Bobby so stop whipping around through traffic. Abrupt lane changing catches other drivers off-guard, making them to hit the brakes, swerve, or even collide with the car. To avoid crashes, drivers should use their mirrors, give appropriate signals (using that little stick thing on your steering column), and make sure the lane is not just clear but there is more than enough room before changing lanes.
#7. Tailgating.
This one is a personal pet peeve and a leading cause of rear-end collisions. There is no reason to be on anyone’s bumper at any time. If anything happens you absolutely will not be able to stop in time, and you will hit the car in front of you. Tailgating at highway or internet speeds is a recipe to be fitted for a coffin. The faster you drive the less reaction time you have and the more stopping distance you need. Even stopping on someone’s bumper in traffic (a Panama City Beach favorite) is also dangerous and leads to multi-car collisions. Then there’s the inevitable road rage you’ll cause. Just back off, man.
#8. Teen Drivers
There is a reason why insurance for your teenage driver, especially boys, is outrageous. I’ve had two of those myself and I have still not financially recovered. The second leading cause of death for teenagers is car crashes. We have piles of studies that conclusively show that teenage drivers are frequently reckless behind the wheel when they have even one friend with them. Many States, including Florida, even limit when teenagers can drive and prohibit the number of or passengers altogether. I’m old enough to remember when driver’s education was a High School requirement. Most schools do not have driver’s education classes but there are plenty of local private programs which will make your teen a safer driver and will save you money on insurance as will tracking software that is readily available.
#9. Drowsy Driving
With offices in Birmingham and Panama City, I am on road a lot and often late at night or early in the morning. Driving while drowsy is deadly. Full stop. This is why Federal law requires commercial drivers to take mandatory breaks for rest and sleep. Falling asleep behind the wheel leads to a high percentage of single vehicle fatalities or fatalities from head-on collisions. Just being sleepy reduces your concentration, reaction times, and focus on the road, leading to potentially serious accidents. Road hypnosis and time warping are very real and if you experience these then make a rest stop! Plan to change out drivers on longer trips or delay your travel for necessary rest.
#10. Improper Road Conditions
If you live in Alabama or the Florida Panhandle, you know that our roadways are in a constant state of disrepair. Potholes, trash and debris on the road, damaged (usually full of holes) or missing road signs, and poor lighting are some of the hazards we encounter on the road. Hitting one of these can damage your car or blow a tire leading to a crash. Drivers suddenly stopping or veering in traffic to avoid the hazards results in multi-car crashes. Pay attention to avoid these conditions and report them to the state, city, or county for repair. Yes, it might take them a year to fill that pothole, but they won’t if you don’t complain.
