St. Louis car accidents are most commonly caused by distracted driving, speeding, impaired driving, failure to yield, and red light violations, but the full list includes many more causes. Here are the 10 causes we see most often in car accident cases throughout St. Louis.
Distracted Driving
Phones are the most obvious culprit, but distraction includes anything that pulls a driver’s attention away from the road – adjusting the radio, eating, reaching for something in the back seat, or fiddling with navigation systems.
Speeding
Speed reduces reaction time and increases the force of impact when a collision does occur. St. Louis highways like I-70, I-44, and I-64 see consistent speeding, and the consequences when something goes wrong at high speed are significantly worse than in lower-speed crashes.
Impaired Driving
Alcohol and drugs remain a leading cause of serious and fatal accidents in St. Louis. Impaired drivers have slower reaction times, reduced judgment, and impaired spatial awareness, a combination that makes collisions both more likely and more severe.
Running Red Lights and Stop Signs
Intersection violations are responsible for a disproportionate share of serious injuries because they typically result in broadside or T-bone collisions, which are impacts where there’s minimal vehicle structure between the point of contact and the occupants inside.
Failure to Yield
Merging onto a highway without yielding, pulling out of a parking lot without waiting for a gap in traffic, or misjudging oncoming speed when turning left are all common situations that produce collisions that could have been avoided with an extra moment of caution.
Tailgating
Following another vehicle too closely leaves no margin for error. When the car ahead brakes suddenly, a tailgating driver doesn’t have enough distance to stop in time.
Unsafe Lane Changes
Changing lanes without checking blind spots, failing to signal, or misjudging the speed of vehicles in adjacent lanes causes sideswipe collisions. This can also result in more serious crashes when drivers overcorrect after realizing the lane wasn’t clear.
Weather Conditions
St. Louis winters bring ice and snow, and the city also sees its share of heavy rain and fog throughout the year. Drivers who don’t adjust their speed and following distance to match road conditions are responsible for a significant number of weather-related crashes that were otherwise avoidable.
Drowsy Driving
Fatigue impairs driving ability in ways that are similar to alcohol, like slower reaction times, reduced attention, and impaired decision-making. Early morning and late-night crashes on St. Louis highways frequently involve drivers who should not have been behind the wheel.
Inexperienced Drivers
Newer drivers lack the instincts that come from years behind the wheel. Recognizing a developing hazard early, knowing how a vehicle handles in an emergency, or making sound split-second decisions in traffic are things some newer drivers just won’t be able to do. Teen drivers are statistically overrepresented in accident data, but inexperience is a factor at any age.
If you were injured in a St. Louis car accident caused by any of these factors, the circumstances of how it happened directly affect your ability to recover compensation. Contact Meyerkord & Kurth’s office today for a free consultation and let us evaluate your case.