Reckless driving might bring certain pictures to mind, images like somebody driving 100 mph on the highway or weaving in and out of traffic. However, sometimes reckless driving is much more subtle than that, albeit incredibly serious nonetheless. A reckless driver is known to be one who disregards the laws of the road and the safety of others through their actions. If somebody has been driving recklessly and it leads to an accident, serious penalties and even a loss of license can follow. However, that might be the least of your worries if you have been injured at the hands of a reckless driver.
There are many types of reckless driving that happen on our roads every single day. Today, we would like to take a look at a few examples of what qualifies as reckless driving, so that you can move forward in your case with this knowledge.
Distracted Driving: Distracted driving is one of the top reasons accidents occur on our roads every year, becoming one of the most common types of reckless driving. There are many common types of distracted driving acts that take place on our roads every day, including applying makeup, eating while driving, speaking with friends in the car, and, most commonly, texting and driving. Distracted driving claims approximately 3,166 lives every year, with many more being hospitalized in these serious accidents. If somebody has taken their eyes or attention from the road, they have engaged in distracted driving and this could mean serious results.
Speeding: Speeding is an incredibly prevalent factor in a wide variety of accidents every year, as it reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around objects and curves that might pop up suddenly on our roads. If you have been involved in an accident with a speeding driver, you will be able to hold them liable for your injuries because they have disobeyed the posted speed limits and, thus, broke the law. A driver who chooses to drive above the speed limit might not be able to react accordingly, causing them to lose control.
Disobeying Traffic Laws: The laws of the road have been put in place to protect everyone who shares the roadways. There are many ways that a person might disregard the rules of the road in common occurrences that happen every day: running a red light, coming to an incomplete stop at a stop sign, and disregarding the speed limit posted in a certain area.
Street Racing: Street racing is known to be reckless driving and takes lives every year. You never know when somebody might choose to race another driver in an area where you are driving, putting your life in danger. This is why, if you believe that somebody is acting recklessly and might be racing, it is important to speak up.
Aggressive Driving: Aggressive driving can take on many forms, such as tailgating another driver, not yielding to other vehicles, overtaking other vehicles, and stopping in the middle of the road to harass a driver. Aggressive driving is actually a crime and could be classified as a misdemeanor because of its ability to lead to serious results.
If you have been involved in a serious car accident in Pennsylvania and you have received injuries at the hands of a reckless driver, you might have questions about how you can hold a party liable for your accident with the evidence you have collected. The truth is that many reckless driving accidents lead to catastrophic results to drivers and passengers on our roadways. Being involved in an accident is no walk in the park and an event that might take time to recover from. Please let us help you get started on your case at Edelstein, Martin & Nelson immediately. Contact us for more information at 215-731-9900.