The Dangers Of High-Speed Car Accidents
Even collisions that occur at relatively low speeds can still cause significant injuries, so it makes sense that some of the most dangerous collisions are those that occur at high speeds. Unfortunately, speeding is extremely common and is thought to contribute to as many as one-third of all traffic accidents and to be the leading cause of fatal crashes.
Why is Speeding So Dangerous?
Speeding gives motorists a lot less time to avoid an accident, shortening reaction times and reducing maneuverability. Furthermore, the faster a car is traveling, the more brutal an eventual impact will be, which is why high-speed accidents tend to have such devastating consequences for the parties involved. It’s also important to note that it isn’t necessary for a person to be exceeding the speed limit to be driving too fast for the road conditions. If the roadway is wet, flooded, or icy, for instance, even driving the speed limit can be dangerous. A driver who fails to take traffic, weather, and visibility into consideration when driving could be held liable for a resulting collision.
Was Your Accident Caused by Speeding?
Speeding-related collisions happen quickly, which can make proving fault more difficult. It is, for instance, often harder to obtain eyewitness testimony after a high-speed collision because the crash just happened too fast. In these cases, an injured party could benefit from obtaining data from the at-fault driver’s electronic data recorder (EDR). Most modern vehicles are equipped with these devices, which record data about a car before it crashes, including a vehicle’s speed prior to and during a crash. This data can even show whether an at-fault driver attempted to swerve out of the way, or to brake to avoid a collision.
Besides electronic data, high-speed car accident victims can try to obtain video recordings of the crash, which may have been captured by security or traffic cameras. If available, these recordings can show exactly how fast the cars were traveling before the accident. Damage to the vehicles involved in the crash can also provide clues about vehicle speed, as most vehicle manufacturers provide collision ratings with their new vehicles. Accident victims can compare these ratings and results with the damage to their vehicles, which, combined with data from the scene of the accident, like the length of skid marks, can be used to reconstruct an accident and prove how fast the at-fault motorist was driving.
Call the Dedicated Tampa Car Accident Attorneys at Anderson & Anderson Today
With two Tampa car accident lawyers and a large support staff, we are what you might call a big small law firm. While we have the capacity to meet all of your legal needs, we are also not so large as to be impersonal. Our Tampa roots run deep and we are committed to helping accident victims in our community seek full and fair compensation for their injuries. To learn more about our services, feel free to call our office at 813-251-0072 today.
Sources:
nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding
iihs.org/topics/speed
