Most Dangerous Types of Car Accidents
According to numbers from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 37,461 Americans were killed in auto accidents in 2016. While all collisions are dangerous, certain kinds of accidents were more likely to result in fatalities than others.
Our team of Daytona Beach, FL car accident lawyers would like to consider some of the IIHS findings and other available numbers as we list the most dangerous types of auto collisions below. If you or someone you love was harmed in a car accident, we encourage you to get in touch with our law firm to discuss the incident.
Head On/Front End Auto Accidents
Head on collisions generate tremendous force as the fronts of vehicles collide, particularly if both vehicles are in motion and traveling in opposite directions toward one another. It’s no surprise that head on collisions result in the most number of fatalities each year. IIHS numbers found that front end collisions resulted in 54 percent of all passenger vehicle accident fatalities in 2016.
Side Impact/Broadside Auto Accidents
Sometimes referred to as T-bone accidents, side impacts the second deadliest kind of car accident. The amount of force generated when the front of a vehicle collides with the side of another vehicle can be tremendous, and passengers are much more vulnerable to injury in such cases. Broadside crashes accounted for 25 percent of all American auto accident fatalities in 2016.
Underride Accidents with Large Trucks
Underride truck accidents occur when a passenger vehicle strikes the trailer of a large truck from behind or the side. In such cases, the passenger vehicle travels partially under the trailer, resulting in the roof being slammed and potentially sheared off. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that half of all fatal car-and-large-truck collisions are underride crashes.
High-Speed Collisions
Excessive seed makes serious collisions potentially deadly. According to the IIHS, speeding played a role in 27 percent of all auto accident fatalities in the United States in 2016. This is why it’s important to follow all traffic signs and to ensure you are keeping up with the normal flow of traffic.
Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents occur when a vehicle is knocked over on its side and potentially onto its roof. The violence and trauma of such an accident is severe, and the deadliness is increased of the roof of the vehicle caves in. SUVs and other vehicles with a high center of gravity are more likely to rollover than other types of vehicles. The IIHS recorded 7,488 fatalities from rollover accidents in 2016.
Collisions with Drunk/Intoxicated Drivers
Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol means poor judgment, negatively impacted decision-making skills, slower reflexes, and poor coordination. These are all a recipe for a serious and potentially fatal collision.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that 10,497 people were killed in collisions involving alcohol in 2016. Furthermore, 28 percent of all fatal accidents that year involved alcohol in some capacity.
Contact Chanfrau & Chanfrau
For more information about your legal rights and options following a serious motor vehicle collision, be sure to contact our team of auto accident attorneys. The lawyers of Chanfrau & Chanfrau will offer expert legal counsel in your time of legal need.
