Most car accident victims experience minor injuries. However, when vehicles crash head-on, especially at high speeds, the impact can be devastating. The victims of such an accident can face huge medical experience and lose their wages while recovering from the sustained injuries. The ideal way drivers can protect themselves from head-on crash accidents is to understand the common causes of such incidents. This guide provides the causes of head on collisions.
Poor weather conditions, including heavy rainfall, snow, or fog, can make it challenging for drivers to see other vehicles, traffic signals, and road markings. If you are not careful when driving under such conditions, you can easily slide out of your lane and collide with an oncoming vehicle.
An unexpected steering wheel problem, wheel loss, brake failure, or tire blowout can result in a head-on collision. Vehicle manufacturers might be responsible for such defects. Also, car owners might be responsible for failure to have the car inspected or maintained.
If you drive beyond the recommended speed limit, you can end up losing control of your vehicles and even collide with an oncoming vehicle. Such a case can happen if you drive at high speeds while navigating through sharp corners and cannot maintain your lane. Also, drivers might attempt to pass other vehicles that they believe are moving slowly. In such a case, they might move to other lanes without confirming if it is clear, especially on a highway or a two-lane road resulting in a collision. Not only that, you might miscalculate your distance and find yourself driving even when a red light is on, making you crash into another vehicle that might have moved forwards after a green light signal.
Obstacles on the road
Poor road conditions can make a driver lose control, resulting in a head-on crash. Examples of such conditions include poorly marked lanes, dangerous curbs, objects on the road, potholes, animals, or people who unexpectedly cross a road.
Most drivers become distracted while talking to passengers, applying for make-up, eating, using the radio, texting, or talking on their phones while driving. A distracted driver might fail to navigate an intersection or a curve. Even after realizing a crash risk, the driver might not have adequate time to avoid a collision.
Altered construction or traffic patterns
Roads might be altered because of construction works, making authorities implement altered traffic patterns, including signs and traffic cones. Unfocused drivers might fail to notice such changes, exposing themselves to a risk of accidents.
Driving while intoxicated
Drivers who are impaired or fail to pay attention because of drugs or alcohol might drift away from their lane into oncoming traffic. Also, intoxicated drivers might contribute to head-on collisions by driving in the wrong lane because their driving judgments will be significantly impaired.
Driving when tired
Anyone can drive when they are tired. The fatigue can happen due to working overtime, driving for long hours, or experiencing a certain type of family emergence. Unfortunately, being exhausted or tired can limit your driving ability, even if you are an experienced driver. Most of the head-on collisions are caused by drivers who fall asleep when driving. That is why drivers are advised to stop periodically to drink a cup of coffee and rest before proceeding on with their journey.
Common injuries in head-on collisions
People who survive during a head-on collision might sustain injuries such as:
- Crushed limbs and amputations
- Contusions, bruises, and lacerations
- Severe facial injuries
- Damage to internal organs
- Nerve damage
- Spinal injuries
- Bone fractures
- Serious traumatic injuries
Apart from the physical wounds, an accident can contribute to post-traumatic related stress disorder characterized by symptoms such as:
- Severe depression or anxiety
- Reliving the crash through flashbacks and nightmares
- Difficulty sleeping
There is no single person who is fully prepared to handle the aftermath of a head-on crash individually. Being injured by such an accident can leave you with several questions that you cannot find answers to by your owner. That is why it is recommended that you sustain injuries from a head-on crash to seek the help of a personal injury lawyer.