Driving without complete focus can be hazardous. Unfortunately, reckless driving accidents are sadly all too frequent and can often result in catastrophic injuries such as internal organ damage, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord or neck injuries, and even fatalities. A reckless driving accident lawyer will help you get the compensation you need if injured in such an incident.
Swerving between traffic lanes, speeding, running red lights or stop signs illegally and engaging in other reckless behaviors put everyone in the vicinity at risk and must be reported.
Speeding
Speeding is often one of the major causes of fatal car accidents, and having legal representation to assist victims recover damages can help cover medical expenses, vehicle repairs costs and any other losses they might suffer as a result.
Other forms of reckless driving involve disobeying traffic signs and signals, which is highly hazardous. Drivers sometimes disregard yield signs that indicate they must give other motorists the right of way, as well as turn signals that warn other drivers they’re slowing down or switching lanes, increasing their risk for rear-end collisions.
Some drivers engage in reckless and potentially risky behaviors to escape police officers, including speeding, swerving and other reckless acts that put other drivers’ safety at risk – particularly near large vehicles like big rig trucks.
Tailgating
One of the most dangerous and prevalent reckless driving behaviors is tailgating. When following another car too closely, not leaving enough distance in case they need to brake suddenly for any reason, reckless tailgaters often cause rear-end collisions which injure people as well as cause traffic delays.
Rear-end accidents caused by tailgating can result in devastating neck, back, and whiplash injuries that may last for years and cause lasting impact to victims and their loved ones. These injuries can even change lives forever.
If a driver who is tailgating you is annoying you, try your best not to engage them directly and allow them to pass. Giving space between yourself and their vehicle may prompt them to reconsider their impatience and drive more safely – potentially mitigating liability in case they crash into you from behind as in most cases, negligent parties must pay damages in cases involving rear-end collisions.
Failure to Yield
Drivers must give way to traffic with respect to crosswalks, intersections and stopped emergency vehicles like police cars, firetrucks or ambulances. New York also enforces “move over” laws which require motorists to slow down or move over when approaching vehicles with red, blue amber or white lights.
Failing to yield is a risky act and one of the top causes of car accidents every year, often compounded with other reckless driving practices like speeding. Failing to yield can cause collisions that lead to severe injuries such as head trauma and neck or back problems for those involved, civil damages from victims of collisions caused by failure to yield, criminal sanctions against drivers like fines or license suspension as well as higher insurance rates upon ticket issuance.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving can be a dangerous act that leads to devastating car accidents. This form of reckless driving requires drivers to show a willful disregard for traffic laws, going beyond mere negligence offenses like speeding or tailgating.
NHTSA research indicates that distracted driving plays a part in at least 10 percent of fatal and 18 percent of injury-causing crashes, which could be an underestimation since police crash reports do not detail this aspect, and wireless data can sometimes be difficult to access after serious crashes have taken place.
Distracted driving refers to any activity that diverts your focus away from driving – such as eating, conversing with passengers in the vehicle, using electronic devices and grooming such as shaving or applying makeup. One study revealed that looking at your cell phone screen for just two seconds doubles your risk of an accident.