A million Americans use cars as their primary mode of transportation. Unfortunately, that doesn’t reduce the risk of car accidents. Among the many causes of car accidents are aggressive driving, speeding, and rule-breaking. Car accidents are very expensive, resulting in extensive damage to life and property that could otherwise be avoided.
For accidents caused by aggressive driving and road rage, you should hire a good lawyer to represent you. As a victim of such an accident, you are entitled to compensation for your injuries and damaged property.
How aggressive driving causes accidents
When the driver does not have complete control of the vehicle, it can lead to catastrophic collisions. This can be compounded by the size and speed of the vehicles involved in the crash. For example, if a truck driver speeds and loses control of the vehicle, the weight of the cargo could lead to multiple vehicles on the highway being crushed or blindsided by the truck.
Aggressive driving reduces the chance a driver has to react to anything on the road. It reduces the stopping distance, which is the minimum distance required for a vehicle to stop safely without causing an accident. When a driver tailgates, for example, it gives them little room to stop or maneuver if the vehicle in front of them suddenly stops or changes direction.
Failing to follow the rules puts everyone in danger. For example, if a driver jumps a red light, other drivers and pedestrians in their path can also be at grave risk of injury or even death.
Why do people drive recklessly?
There are many causes or motivations for reckless driving, including:
Arrogance: Some people think they’re skilled enough to handle risky maneuvers, like suddenly switching lanes, excessive speeding on small or narrow streets, etc.
Lack of awareness: Some people are, sadly, just plain unaware of the consequences of driving aggressively. They don’t know the extent of damage it can cause – like permanent disabilities or thousands of dollars in damage to property.
Emotional issues: When people face extreme emotions, whether from work or some other personal issue, like anger management problems, it can come out when they’re driving. For example, if a person has anger management issues, they could tailgate, swear at other drivers, etc. This kind of behavior puts everyone in danger.
Impatience: With thousands of people using the road every day, it can result in traffic jams that are annoying to deal with. This leads to people becoming impatient and resorting to rule-breaking or risky behavior like abrupt lane-switching or excessive speeding.
Injuries caused by reckless driving
Aggressive driving can lead to a range of injuries, from cuts and scrapes to complex spinal injuries. The damage could last for a few weeks or end up changing the course of a person’s life. Here are some of the injuries that victims of car accidents often suffer:
- Head injuries
- Damage to internal organs
- PTSD or other psychological problems
- Fractures
Consequences of reckless driving
When drivers fail to follow the rules and choose to drive recklessly, it leads to a ton of damage, from physical injuries to property damage to psychological trauma. It costs the US government millions of dollars every year to fix the damage from car accidents. Medical bills for victims can be expensive, leading many to debt.
Damage to cars can leave people without a mode of transport and cost thousands, if not millions, of dollars to fix. The injuries themselves can give people a lot of pain and put them out of work. For breadwinners, this can be devastating, affecting not only their lives but the lives of those dependent on them.
Aggressive driving can also cause car accidents that leave people psychologically scarred, and some people may not recover from this for life. This can affect their ability to deal with daily challenges, return to work, or live independently.
