Car accidents can happen for many reasons, but some types of collisions occur more frequently than others.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, identifying the cause of the crash and determining who is responsible is crucial for obtaining the maximum compensation. Each type of car accident requires a unique approach to investigation.
Our team of Philadelphia car accident lawyers will thoroughly examine your accident to determine the true cause of the crash.
During this investigation, your attorney may uncover multiple parties that share responsibility for the accident and your injuries.
Identifying all liable parties is essential to successfully resolving your case and securing the compensation you deserve.
Ten Most Common Causes of Car Accidents
What are the most frequent causes of car crashes? Below are ten common reasons behind car accidents that we assist clients with regularly.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors and identify the most common cause of traffic accidents.
1. Distracted Driving
The statistics surrounding distracted driving are alarming. It is the leading cause of most road accidents, and in many cases, these crashes are entirely preventable.
Experts regard distracted driving as a major public health concern in the United States. It reduces reaction times, impairs a driver’s ability to stay in their lane, and leads to devastating accidents that result in severe injuries or fatalities.
Every driver is at risk when someone takes their attention off the road—whether to check a cell phone or for any other reason.
Unfortunately, the widespread use of cell phones and GPS devices in vehicles has contributed to a rise in distracted driving-related crashes.
Despite strict laws against texting while driving such as those in Pennsylvania many drivers continue to engage in this dangerous behavior.
The NHTSA estimates that at any given moment during the day, over 850,000 drivers in the U.S. are actively using their cell phones while driving.
These drivers have a significantly higher chance of causing an accident than those who remain focused on the road.
Victims of car accidents caused by distracted drivers have the right to hold them accountable for their negligent actions.
Under Pennsylvania law, auto accident victims can seek compensation from any party whose reckless behavior caused injuries or property damage.
Depending on the circumstances, victims may be entitled to substantial compensation, including coverage for medical bills, lost wages, vehicle repairs, and both physical and emotional distress.
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2. Drunk and Drugged Driving
Nearly four decades ago, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) brought national attention to the dangers of drunk driving.
Since then, public awareness campaigns and stricter impaired driving laws have helped reduce the problem. However, drunk and drugged driving remains a serious issue on U.S. roads.
In Pennsylvania, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal. Yet, in a single year, approximately 1,500 crashes in Philadelphia alone involved intoxicated or impaired drivers.
Importantly, Pennsylvania’s impaired driving laws don’t just apply to alcohol or illegal drugs. They also cover legally prescribed medications that cause impairment similar to intoxication.
If you’ve been injured in a crash caused by a drunk or drugged driver, it’s essential to understand that law enforcement focuses solely on the criminal aspects of these cases.
To recover compensation for your injuries and damages, you’ll need an experienced Pennsylvania car accident attorney who can fight for your rights and ensure you receive the financial support you need.
3. Poor Weather Conditions
Bad weather is another leading factor in car accidents, often playing a major role in crashes.
If hazardous weather conditions contributed to your accident, you may wonder how to pursue compensation. While you cannot sue the weather itself, drivers are still responsible for maintaining control of their vehicles.
For instance, if a driver rear-ends another car in dense fog, they may still be held liable for the crash.
Drivers have a duty to adjust their speed and driving habits to match road conditions. A road that is safe for driving at 60 mph on a clear summer day can become hazardous at 30 mph during heavy rain or snow.
When drivers fail to take weather conditions into account and operate their vehicles as if the roads were dry and clear, they may be legally responsible for the crashes and injuries they cause.
Never assume that bad weather absolves a negligent driver of responsibility. If another driver’s reckless behavior contributed to your accident, you may have the right to seek compensation.
4. Reckless Driving and Road Rage
Traveling in a motor vehicle always carries some level of risk. However, these risks increase significantly when other drivers engage in reckless or irresponsible behavior.
While some drivers may make an unintentional mistake, others deliberately drive in an aggressive and hazardous manner.
If a driver’s intentional recklessness leads to an accident, all injured victims have the legal right to seek compensation for their losses from that driver.
Almost every driver has experienced moments of impatience behind the wheel. Whether due to heavy traffic or slow-moving vehicles, frustration can build especially when someone is in a hurry. However, impatience should never lead to reckless or aggressive driving.
When drivers allow their emotions to cloud their judgment, they put themselves and others at significant risk.
Aggressive driving is a leading cause of car accidents, with reckless driving, road rage, and tailgating being some of the most common forms of this dangerous behavior.
5. Speeding
A March 2023 survey conducted by the NHTSA highlights that the widespread acceptance of driving over the speed limit is a major issue on U.S. roadways.
Speeding contributes to a large percentage of serious traffic accidents. In one recent year alone, speeding was responsible for 26 percent of all fatal crashes, claiming approximately 13,000 lives.
Statistics show that for every additional 10 miles per hour a vehicle travels beyond 50 miles per hour, the likelihood of fatalities in a crash doubles.
While exceeding the speed limit is often associated with highway driving, the NHTSA study found that 86 percent of fatal speeding-related crashes did not occur on interstates.
This data reinforces the fact that speeding is dangerous not only on highways but also on residential streets, city roads, and other areas. In nearly every case, excessive speed is a clear indicator of driver negligence.
6. Disobeying Red and Yellow Lights
Intersections are among the most hazardous locations on the road. A key factor contributing to their danger is the presence of yellow lights, which come before red lights in the signal cycle.
According to the Association for Psychological Science (APS), yellow lights present “one of the more dangerous obstacles that people encounter on the road” because they require drivers to make a split-second decision.
While some states treat yellow lights as equivalent to red lights, Pennsylvania’s driver’s manual offers a less definitive stance.
It instructs drivers to “slow down and prepare to stop” but permits them to proceed if they determine they cannot safely stop in time.
This means that when Pennsylvania drivers approach a yellow light, they must quickly decide: “Can I make it through safely, or should I slow down and wait?”
The APS reports that a survey conducted by the car insurance industry found that 85 percent of drivers cannot accurately answer that question.
Many mistakenly believe a yellow light means “speed up.” When drivers make the wrong choice, the results can be devastating, often leading to serious accidents that harm innocent people.
7. Running Stop Signs
Intersections regulated by stop signs instead of traffic lights pose significant risks to drivers throughout Philadelphia.
According to the IIHS, “one-third of all intersection crashes in the United States, and more than 40 percent of the fatal ones, occur at intersections controlled by stop signs,” accounting for approximately 700,000 stop sign-related accidents each year.
It’s easy to assume that most of these accidents occur when drivers completely fail to stop or perform rolling stops.
However, IIHS data reveals that only 17 percent of drivers involved in these crashes admitted to not stopping.
The majority of drivers claimed they did stop but simply failed to see the oncoming vehicle. This suggests that the real danger of stop sign-controlled intersections stems from driver decision-making rather than an outright failure to stop.
In Philadelphia, drivers are not only required to come to a full stop at stop signs, but they must also assess when it is safe to proceed much like making a split-second judgment at a yellow traffic light.
However, drivers do not always make the best decisions, and road conditions do not always facilitate clear visibility.
A driver who miscalculates when to proceed through a stop sign intersection may be found negligent.
However, liability may also extend to local governments and road agencies if they fail to maintain clear sightlines by removing visual obstacles that prevent drivers from seeing oncoming traffic.
If you were injured in a collision at a stop sign intersection, a skilled motor vehicle accident attorney can investigate who may be at fault.
8. Improper Turns
Improper turns are among the most frequent contributing factors in motor vehicle crashes across the U.S., particularly at intersections. Many fatal accidents result from drivers executing turns without properly assessing traffic conditions.
Left turns are the most common culprit, followed by right turns and U-turns. These accidents often occur when drivers turn across oncoming traffic, such as when making a left turn into a shopping center or another driveway entrance.
The likelihood of improper turn accidents increases when drivers neglect to use turn signals or when adverse weather conditions limit visibility and road traction.
Left-turn collisions can be especially dangerous, particularly when a turning vehicle strikes a motorcycle.
T-bone collisions, in which one vehicle impacts the side of another perpendicularly, create extreme force, often resulting in devastating injuries or fatalities for those involved.
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9. Road Hazards
Drivers reasonably expect roadways to be free of obstructions, potholes, and other hazardous conditions that might cause them to lose control of their vehicles.
Additionally, all roadways should be designed to accommodate vehicles of appropriate size and weight. When hazards exist, drivers rely on proper warnings from road crews or other motorists to help them avoid dangerous situations.
Unfortunately, responsible parties sometimes fail to maintain or repair roads to ensure safe travel, and they may also neglect to provide adequate warnings about known hazards.
Entities responsible for road maintenance must take necessary precautions to prevent these hazards from appearing unexpectedly.
This includes trimming overhanging tree limbs that could fall during storms and ensuring that roads have sufficient structural integrity to prevent subsurface conditions from causing pavement deterioration.
When a car accident occurs due to a hazardous road condition, an experienced car accident attorney can determine which party should have either prevented the danger or warned drivers about it.
Liability for these accidents often falls on local governments, transportation departments, private property owners, or the operators of vehicles that contributed to the dangerous road conditions.
10. Drowsy Driving
Most adults fail to get the recommended amount of sleep each night, leading to fatigue that affects their ability to drive safely.
As a result, many drivers are already fatigued when they begin their daily commutes, increasing the risk of an accident.
Drowsy driving is responsible for a significant number of car crashes. Fatigued drivers may fail to notice pedestrians or cyclists, run red lights, or miss stop signs.
In extreme cases, drivers may even fall asleep behind the wheel and veer into oncoming traffic.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that drowsy driving impairs motorists in ways similar to alcohol intoxication.
Fatigued drivers experience slower reaction times, reduced coordination, and poor judgment key factors that contribute to dangerous driving behaviors.
Law enforcement officers sometimes pull over drivers on suspicion of drunk driving, only to discover that their impairment stems from exhaustion rather than alcohol or drugs.
Ultimately, driver error is the primary cause behind most car accidents.The answer to “What is the most common cause of collisions?” comes down to human misjudgment.
Whether a driver is speeding, operating a vehicle under the influence, or attempting to multitask behind the wheel by texting or adjusting navigation, these decisions frequently lead to devastating crashes.