The seasoned legal team at Gregory S. Young Co., LPA, has protected the rights of injured persons since 1958.

What causes so many car accidents?

Data shows that failing to stay in one’s own lane is the primary cause of accidents in Ohio. In Kentucky, driver overcorrection causes the most crashes.

When a teenager in Ohio and Kentucky wants to learn how to drive, they most likely take a driver’s education course. These courses teach them not only how to operate a vehicle but also educate them about the laws and rules of the road. The goal of such training is to make sure these people drive safely. Somehow it seems that the lessons learned get lost over the years as car accidents continue to happen-and lives continue to be lost as a result.

Vehicular fatality realities

According to Slate magazine, the United States experienced its largest increase in motor vehicle deaths in 2015 in 50 years. The number of people killed on U.S. roads and highways that year jumped eight percent over the prior year. To make matters worse, this number increased again in 2016.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that this trend was seen in both Ohio and Kentucky. In fact, both states recorded an increase in their vehicular fatalities between 2013 and 2014 as well.

In Ohio, there were 989 deaths in car crashes in 2013. That number increased to 1,006 and then to 1,110 in the subsequent two years. In 2016, it rose again to 1,132.

In Kentucky, 638 people were killed in accidents in 2013 and another 672 died in 2014. The following two years saw those numbers climb first to 761 in 2015 and then to 834 in 2016.

Multiple accident causes

Business Insider reported on research conducted by the Auto Insurance Center that looked at the primary cause of fatal accidents by state. In Ohio, the failure to stay in one’s lane was the culprit. This was the primary factor in fatal crashes in many neighboring states including Illinois, West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia and Missouri. In Kentucky, it was driver overcorrection.

A 2008 study at the University of Michigan found that failure to stay in a single lane accounted for 33 percent of all crashes. Other factors included falling asleep while driving, losing control of a vehicle or driving into a blind spot or through a red light. Making a right turn on red without coming to a full stop first was found responsible for 6 percent of all pedestrian deaths. A tragic 21 percent of those killed were children.

Action is needed after a crash

People in Ohio and Kentucky who are involved in a collision caused by another driver’s recklessness or lack of safe driving should always contact an attorney. Getting help from an experienced lawyer may help people seek the compensation they deserve.

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