HEAD ON COLLISION CAR ACCIDENTS
HEAD-ON CAR ACCIDENTS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY AND ARE OFTEN FATAL
The majority of auto accidents involve vehicles colliding while they are going in the same direction (side swipe accidents and rear-end accidents) or when one vehicle hits another on its side (T-bone accident). Even though any of these accidents can cause serious injury, none of them compare to a head-on collision.
A head-on collision is when the front end of one vehicle collides with the front end of another. These serious accidents can include cars, trucks, busses, trains, motorcycles or any other type of vehicle. Just as it sounds, head-on collisions are abrupt and often deadly. The reason these accidents are so dangerous is the sudden stopping of forward movement – almost like driving into a brick wall.
Even though only 2% of car accidents are head-on collisions, the few people that are involved in one are often killed in the accident. The small numbers that are lucky enough to survive will usually end of victims of spinal cord injuries, broken bones or traumatic head and brain injuries.
CAUSES OF HEAD-ON COLLISIONS
A head-on collision (also known as a lane departure crash) can happen in several ways and is usually caused by some form of negligence. Some of the most common causes of a head-on collision can include:
- Severe driver fatigue or someone falling asleep behind the wheel then drifting into oncoming traffic.
- Taking a corner at an unsafe fast speed.
- A tire blowout causing a driver to lose control.
- An over reactive steering maneuver to avoid road debris.
- Road construction that may cause confusion over what lane to stay on.
- Getting on a highway and accidentally using an off-ramp.
- Poor passing judgment on a 2 lane road.
- Not following road signs.
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Florida rainstorms or other bad weather conditions that cause poor visibility.
- Crossing the center line on an undivided road.
THE ODDS OF A HEAD-ON COLLISION WILL ONLY INCREASE WITH DISTRACTED DRIVING
Because it only takes a few seconds to drift into oncoming traffic, drivers who drive distracted are only increasing the odds of involving themselves and others in a head-on collision. From texting to checking email or Facebook, it seems that people are getting more and more comfortable with relying on their peripheral vision while driving for those few seconds they are taking their eyes off of the road. What distracted drivers have to keep in mind is that even if they feel they are good enough to multitask behind the wheel and stay in their lane, taking their eyes off the road makes them completely vulnerable to an oncoming vehicle in the wrong lane.
SPEAK TO A CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY
If you or someone you know is the victim of a head-on collision due to someone else’s negligence, then you need to contact an attorney to help you seek the compensation that is deserved for this serious accident. The car accident attorneys at Madalon Law handle cases and fight for the injured throughout the state of Florida.