Driver Errors and Car Accidents
Car accidents have many different causes. In a number of cases, we can trace the cause of a collision to a mistake made by the driver. When drivers make costly errors that result in injuries or fatalities, our Oklahoma City, OK lawyers are here to help.
The team at Tawwater Law Firm, PLLC would like to share some facts about driver errors and how they result in collisions. We’ll first look at national numbers of driver-error crashes, and then we’ll consider what types of errors occur on the road and behind the wheel.
Statistics on Driver Errors and Collisions
According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), driver mistakes accounted for 94 percent of all collisions in 2015. That translated into roughly 2.05 million crashes caused by someone making an error while behind the wheel.
These errors took different forms, including recognition errors, decision errors, performance errors, and non-performance errors. The NHTSA also noted other kinds of driver errors falling outside of those categorizations and making up a small percentage of driver-error accidents.
Our Oklahoma City lawyers want to take a moment to discuss each type of driver error below and offer examples to define what the terminology means.
Driver Recognition Errors
Driver recognition errors refer to driver mistakes that involve recognizing and acknowledging dangerous situations. This includes the failure to check for oncoming traffic, distractions occurring inside the vehicle, rubbernecking and distractions from activity outside the vehicle, and and general driver inattention.
The NHTSA estimates around 845,000 (41 percent) driver-related crashes in 2015 were the result of driver recognition errors.
Driver Decision Errors
Driver decision errors cover mistakes that involve the driver’s decision-making skills. This includes exceeding the speed limit, making illegal maneuvers, misjudging the distance of an oncoming vehicle, taking a turn or curve too fast, misreading the motives of other drivers, and so forth.
The NHTSA estimates around 684,000 (33 percent) driver-related crashes in 2015 were the result of driver decision errors.
Driver Performance Errors
Driver performance errors refer to mistakes involving actual actions behind the wheel. This could include overcorrecting the steering wheel, loss of vehicle control, poor control of the vehicle overall, and so on.
The NHTSA estimates around 210,000 (11 percent) driver-related crashes in 2015 were the result of driver performance errors.
Driver Non-Performance Errors
Driver non-performance errors refer to incidents in which a driver fails to act while behind the wheel. This inaction either leads to a collision or prevents the driver from avoiding a crash. Sleep and driver fatigue are the leading form of driver non-performance errors.
The NHTSA estimates around 145,000 (7 percent) driver-related crashes in 2015 were the result of driver non-performance errors.
Holding Negligent Drivers Accountable
When a driver makes a dangerous or deadly mistake, our attorneys can help you seek legal damages in a lawsuit. These damages cover medical bills, damage to property, lost wages, lost future earnings, and even funerary expenses in the case of fatal collisions. Our attorneys are here to help you, and to ensure that you do not have to shoulder the burdens of an accident on your own.
Contact Our Attorneys
For more information about holding negligent and reckless drivers accountable for their actions, be sure to contact the Tawwater Law Firm, PLLC. You can reach our attorneys in Oklahoma City by calling (405) 673-8021.
