Characteristics of Drivers Most Likely to Have Accidents

The above factors do raise the risks but are not the sole reasons for injuries on roads. Mental health, psychological state, physical status and attitude of the driver as well as the manner in which passengers behave while the vehicle is in motion all lend a hand in causing road accidents.

Age

The age group that causes road accidents the most are teens and young adults. The main cause of death for youths in the United States is car crashes. Figures prove that teenagers from sixteen years to nineteen years of age have a high tendency of having serious road crashes while in driving. This figure is three times more than drivers who are twenty years and above.

Talking while driving, texting, drinking and driving among other vices makes people in this age group act rashly behind the steering wheel, presenting this age group more risks than others. Excessive speeding increases the potential of getting into an accident, especially a devastating one, but speeding seems to be the norm among teenagers.

Drivers who are senile also tend to be involved in road accidents than other age groups. Sight and hearing tend to be hampered by old age. Old age also reduces reaction times and affects the memory that may be needed in driving safely.

Drunk Drivers

One of the leading causes of automotive accidents is drunk driving. In the United States alone, drunk driving is the root cause of one-third of serious car crashes.Vision failure, lower concentration, lowered hand-eye coordination and slower reaction time to events are resultants from drinking.

Distracted Drivers

Some of the most preventable accidents are caused by distracted drivers. Chatting or texting on the phone while driving poses a more serious risk of being involved in a road accident. Drivers are 23 times more likely to get into an accident while texting than those who are not. Looking out for drivers who engage in texting or phone calling while driving are also an added burden on drivers who do not do so. The driver’s attention and sight is focused on the phone to exchange texts, away from the traffic every 4.6 seconds. People on sidewalks are in higher danger of being hit by a distracted driver. During an average car ride, taking one’s eyes from the road to a phone screen every 4.6 seconds is almost equal to driving through a standard football field blindfolded.

Speeding

About 10,000 people lose their lives per year because of speeding in the United States. This represents a large percentage of road accidents. Research shows that about 50% of drivers questioned say that drivers who speed are a menace to road transportation. Drivers that are driving too fast are causing more road problems than they intend when they drive so fast in a bid to reach their destination swiftly.

Truck Drivers and Tired Drivers

Drivers who are sleepy, weary, exhausted or pacified into sleep like conditions while driving are referred to as drowsy drivers. Drunk drivers may not be any worse than drowsy drivers. Staying awake for over eighteen hours equals diminishing mental capacity according to research. The weak mental capacity is pushed further to below legal allowance in all states of the U.S. when there is no sleep for 24 hours. Time reactions, vision and judgment of traffic are all impaired by this lack of sleep when driving. Other problems that may arise include; short term memory loss, reduced performance during driving, violent and hostile behavior on the road and processing information slowly. Drowsy drivers inevitably become a danger on the road, because they are susceptible to distractions that could ultimately lead to serious road accidents.

Parents with new babies in the car may also pose a threat to safe traffic. 10% of new mothers have been involved in a crash while having their babies in the car with them and driving, according to a research. This figure is about three times the average in comparison to all other drivers. Research further reveals that two-third of parents with new babies face a challenge trying to concentrate on the road while driving and attending to the babies’ needs. Truck drivers who usually drive for excessively long hours without sleep still enjoy more sleep than new mothers. About seven hours of sleep for truck drivers in comparison to the just five hours of sleep for new mothers.

If you have been in a car accident with someone who was a distracted driver, please call Jeff Roberts & Associates, PLLC at .