Philadelphia, PA, USA, 12/13/2016 /SubmitPressRelease123/
Two vehicles striking each other head on can result in tremendous force being put upon those inside the vehicles. It’s not like a car hitting a light pole at 40 mph. It could be two cars hitting each other, straight on, each going 40 mph. That kind of force can easily kill car occupants or leave them with serious, life long disabilities, warns Rand Spear Philadelphia car accident lawyer.
Though head on collisions are relatively rare, they do happen. Last month a motorist was killed after he was involved in a head on collision with a SEPTA bus outside Philadelphia International Airport, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. The bus had no passengers and was going to pick up employees working at the UPS facility at the airport early in the morning. The driver of the other vehicle was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital reports car accident attorney Spear.
A study by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials of 1999 federal accident statistics shows:
Most of the head-on crashes in the study were likely caused by a driver making an “unintentional” maneuver (because the driver is fatigued, asleep, distracted, traveling too fast on a curve or impaired by drugs or alcohol).
About 91% of vehicles involved in fatal head-on accidents crashes on two-lane, divided roadways involve vehicles “going straight” (68%) or “negotiating a curve” (23%).
About 75% of head-on crashes occur on rural, undivided roads.
Of the 7,430 vehicles involved in head-on crashes on these roads only 4.2% involved a vehicle trying to pass or overtake another vehicle.
Construction zones were not particularly dangerous for head-on collisions with only 1.9% of fatal accidents in these areas.
Federal accident statistics from 1992-1997 show that if you are involved in a head on collision use of seatbelts and the deployment of air bags increases the chances of survival, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology,
Drivers who survive a head on collision were more likely to have had an air bag deploy or to have used any seat belt restraint compared to those who died in these types of crashes.
Air bag deployment reduced mortality by 63% and lap-shoulder belt use reduced mortality by 72%.
Combined air bag deployment and seat belt use reduced mortality by more than 80%.
9,859 head-on crashes occurred during the time frame causing the deaths of 8,798 drivers.
In 11.3% of the crashes both drivers died, in 66.7% of the accidents one driver died and the other survived and in 22.1% of the crashes both drivers survived.
The death rate was higher for drivers who were ejected from the vehicle or if the vehicle rolled over in the accident.
Now that the holiday season is upon us and the number of intoxicated drivers on the roads increases, drivers need to use seatbelts and be especially aware of vehicles driving the wrong way. If you find yourself in this situation you may literally not believe your eyes as you see another vehicle coming straight at you but you need to take quick action to protect yourself and your passengers, says Rand Spear the accident lawyer.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a head on vehicle accident in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, contact Philadelphia car accident lawyer Rand Spear at 888-373-4LAW today so you can set up a free consultation to discuss the accident, how the law may apply in your situation and what you should do next to protect your rights to compensation for your injuries.
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