Common causes of auto accidents during the New Year

You’ve nearly made it through another year without suffering from a car accident, yet, the year isn’t over and there’s still a chance you could be a victim. By the end of the year there’s a spike in car accidents and this year there’s an estimated chance of several hundred potential fatal car accidents.

A car accident can leave you severely injured. Even if your airbag deploys and you have your seatbelt on, you could suffer from serious head and spine injuries. A head injury could leave your senses impaired, causing whiplash or a concussion or a skull fracture. While a spine injury could cause a hernia, paralysis or catastrophic nerve damage.

Like any other time of the year, many car accidents have several common causes. But, as the year draws to an end, many people celebrate by relaxing their fears and inhibitions, and a little too much, which can lead to accidents. Here’s what you should watch out for:

Distracted driving

What better way to spend the last few holidays than talking to friends – and it’s all the easier with a phone. Texting or talking while driving is a huge cause of many distracted driving accidents.

Distracted driving is so dangerous because people consciously or unconsciously look away from the road. Even a few seconds of distracted driving is enough to cause an accident. Despite the many warnings, many people let themselves become distracted.

Texting and driving isn’t the only form of distracted driving, however; eating and drinking, listening to the radio, talking to a passenger or handling an animal are all common causes of distracted driving.

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI)

As you know, it’s illegal to drive while drunk or under the influence of drugs – this doesn’t stop many people. During the holidays, especially around the New Year, more people are drinking and many are inclined to drive. The danger with driving under the influence is that alcohol lowers a person’s reaction time, which can cause auto accidents.

If you’re suffering from an auto accident going into the new year, then you may want to know your legal rights when seeking compensation for your losses and injuries.