The month of April has been designated Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and during this time, public safety campaigns are working to make sure people understand how this issue affects everyone who uses the roads. Distracted driving is one of the most common forms of driver negligence, and it can lead to dangerous car accidents that result in serious injuries or wrongful death. In fact, across the United States, 3,142 people were killed by distracted driving in 2019. Non-fatal accidents are very common as well, with about 700 people being injured every day in accidents involving distracted drivers. People who are injured by distracted drivers will want to work with an attorney to determine how they can receive financial compensation for the injuries they suffered because of the driver’s negligence.

The Dangers of Distracted Driving

Most Americans spend a significant amount of time behind the wheel, and it can be easy for a person’s attention to wander, especially if they are driving on familiar roads as part of their daily routine. Unfortunately, a split-second distraction can be enough to cause a person to miss important details, and being unable to react in time to other vehicles, pedestrians, animals, obstacles, or other factors can lead to dangerous collisions.

Distractions can affect drivers in the following ways:

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused people throughout the United States to make changes to their lives and routines. Many people have shifted to working from home rather than commuting to an office. In their personal lives, people have stayed at home when possible to prevent the risk of infection, and they have avoided traveling long distances. Because of this, the amount of traffic on the roads has decreased. 

While it might seem like fewer vehicles on the roads would lead to fewer car accidents, this has not been the case. The number of motor vehicle collisions resulting in fatalities increased in 2020, and pedestrians have been especially affected. When compared to 2019, the number of people killed in pedestrian accidents increased by 8%. However, the total number of miles traveled by vehicles decreased by 16.5%, and because of this, the number of pedestrian fatalities per mile traveled increased by 20%.

Reasons for Increases in Fatal Pedestrian Accidents

People have cited a number of possible reasons for why pedestrian accidents, injuries, and fatalities increased even with fewer vehicles on the road. One explanation that has been given is that with less traffic, many drivers have behaved in risky ways. People have been more likely to drive above the speed limit, increasing the chances that they will be unable to slow down and stop in time to avoid striking a pedestrian who is crossing the road.

In central Illinois, car accidents can occur for a variety of reasons, and the most dangerous types of collisions often involve a frontal impact between vehicles that are traveling in opposite directions. Head-on collisions can be devastating, especially when cars are traveling at high speeds, and the impact can cause serious harm to a vehicle’s occupants. Victims of these types of crashes will want to work with an attorney who can help them pursue a personal injury claim and recover compensation for their injuries and damages.

Head-On Collision Injuries

A front-impact crash will cause a vehicle to come to a sudden stop, subjecting the bodies of the driver and any passengers to strong forces that can cause a great deal of bodily harm. A collision can be even more serious if a vehicle rolls over or if the crash results in a multi-vehicle pileup. Some injuries that commonly occur in head-on crashes include:

Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident can be difficult, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the crash. Drivers, passengers, and anyone else involved may need emergency medical treatment, and their injuries may continue to affect them for some time to come. Expensive vehicle repairs may also be needed, or a vehicle may be “totaled,” in which case it will need to be replaced. Addressing the costs related to medical treatment, property damage, and other accident-related issues can be a complex undertaking, but it can be even more difficult if the driver who was at fault for the collision did not have auto insurance. In these cases, victims will want to work with an attorney to determine the other sources of financial compensation that may be available.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Drivers are required to maintain liability insurance on their vehicles, and these policies will provide minimum coverage for injuries, wrongful deaths, and property damage suffered in a collision. Even though a person can face criminal consequences for driving without the required auto insurance, some drivers fail to maintain the proper coverage. In some cases, even if a driver does have liability insurance, their policy may not fully cover all of the damages suffered by victims. This is often the case in accidents that result in severe injuries, disabilities, and extensive property damage.

While car accidents occur for a wide variety of reasons, adverse weather conditions are one common factor in collisions that take place in Central Illinois. Winter weather can be especially dangerous. Of the 1.2 million weather-related car accidents that occur every year in the United States, 29 percent take place on icy, snowy, or slushy pavement, and 18 percent occur while snow or sleet is falling. Studies have found that Illinois is one of the deadliest states for winter driving, with an average of 27 fatal car accidents taking place during the winter each year. In some cases, a personal injury claim can provide compensation for injuries suffered in a winter auto accident caused by a negligent driver. 

Causes of Winter Vehicle Crashes

Winter weather presents a number of risks that can affect drivers, and accidents can occur if drivers fail to account for winter conditions or do not take steps to drive safely in inclement weather. Collisions may take place during the winter because of: