Traffic Collision Between Two Vehicles Traps Driver
A traffic collision occurred on Seamas Avenue in West Sacramento shortly after 9:00 in the morning on October 29. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), two vehicles described as a silver Toyota RAV4 and a white SUV were involved. One vehicle ended up on the right-hand shoulder where it hit a tree. The other overturned. The RAV4 remained on its side with the driver trapped inside the vehicle. Calls went out for tow trucks for both vehicles. There is no word yet whether anyone was injured. Authorities are investigating the accident as to cause and to determine who was at fault. It is uncertain whether alcohol or drugs were involved at this time.
Causes of a Traffic Collision
Traffic collisions happen all the time. They can cause serious injury and financial harm. Despite warnings from police and safe driving consultants, they continue to occur. One main reason is driver error. Let’s look at the major reasons such accidents happen:
- Distraction: Distracted driving is fast becoming the leading cause of accidents. While multitasking might work well in some areas of our lives, driving is not one of them. In order to maintain control of a vehicle, there are a bevy of things that must be done. Normally, the human mind should be able to discern a hazard in about 0.1 seconds. However, when you are thinking about what needs to be done at the office, that time is greatly increased since the driver’s focus is not on the road. The most common distractions are talking or texting on a cell phone, adjusting the radio or talking to passengers. A vehicle traveling at 40 mph covers a distance of 60 feet each second. Taking one’s focus off the road for even two seconds means you have covered 120 feet. The average text takes about four seconds to read.
- Speeding: While everyone speeds now and then, it is a dangerous action to take. The faster you go, the less time a driver will have to react to a hazard. It also gives a motorist less control over their vehicle. Behaviors that signal an impatient driver other than speeding are tailgating and reckless lane changes. At times, impatience leads to aggressive driving. Finally, speed increases the impact a vehicle has when it collides with another. On average, the risk of injury and death is doubled for every 10 mph over 50.
- Impaired driving: Drunk driving alone causes 10,000 deaths annually across the country. When drug use is added to that, the numbers increase. Cognitive impairment, which makes it difficult to make the right decisions and judgments, leads to accidents. Impaired drivers are also unable to control their vehicles.
- Fatigue: Due to overwork, many Americans are fatigued when they drive. While feeling tired is fairly normal, dozing off when behind the wheel is not. Even a four-second nap can lead to a traffic collision. If you are tired and feel sleepy, pull over and rest or delay leaving.
- Tailgating: This is a combination of impatience, aggressive driving and speed. It is the main factor in most rear-end collisions. Doing this puts a driver at risk of seriously hurting another. If the driver collides with a large truck by doing this, chances are that he or she will be involved in an underride accident.
What an Attorney Can Do to Help
After an accident, many people feel alone and frightened. It does not have to be that way. Our firm believes that no one should pay for another’s mistakes. We are experienced in determining what caused your accident and helping you to receive the compensation you deserve. Once onboard, we dispatch our investigative team to the accident site. There, we search for clues as to why the traffic collision occurred. We do this by interviewing witnesses, using accident reconstruction techniques and obtaining video footage from traffic surveillance cameras. Our investigators also examine police reports for mistakes or other inaccuracies. Once this data is accumulated, they release it to our legal team to use in building a strong case for our client.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. Don’t try to do it alone after an accident. Call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. If it is more convenient, reach out to me online.
I’ve helped numerous people in Sacramento in different varieties of car accidents, traumatic injuries, and wrongful death cases obtain the compensation they deserve and need.
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To learn more about my practice, please go to the following pages:
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/crash-car-car-crash-accident-1308575/
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