Causes of Car Accidents

Austin, Texas

In nearly half of the car accidents that occur each year, the cause is driver distraction. Any time you take your eyes off the road for a split second, you are endangering your own life, the lives of your passengers, and everyone else on the road.

Gonzales and Gonzales are Austin car accident lawyers who are a husband/wife team dedicated to representing those who have been injured in a car accident as a result of someone else's negligence. Let our family help your family. No case is too large, and no case is too small.

Causes of Car Accidents

Common causes of car accidents involve such driver distractions as:

• Cell phones
• Laptops
• Electric razors
• Makeup application
• Reading
• Eating
• Talking with passengers
• Driving while intoxicated/driving under the influence
• Tailgating
• Driver fatigue
• Site seeing

Some states in the US have legally banned the use of hand held cell phones while driving. Offenders may be fined for cell phone use while driving. As for drivers guilty of DWI / DUI, they not only run the risk of causing an accident, but they face huge fines, loss of license, jail time and the risk of other charges depending on the severity of injuries to passengers of the vehicle they hit. An impaired driver is unable to properly judge safe driving distances and reaction times and may experience loss of consciousness while behind the wheel.

Tips for Avoiding Aggressive Drivers

Speeding and aggressive driving also contribute to many car accidents, and these offenses carry heavy fines depending on the circumstances. If you come into contact with an aggressive driver, using the following tips may prevent an accident and may even save your life:

• Remain calm
• Change lanes when it is safe to do so
• Keep your distance
• Do not pass unless you have to
• If the aggressive driver is behind you and you cannot change lanes, maintain the proper speed and avoid any hostile gestures
• If the situation is serious, you have the option of calling 911 to report the driver

Other causes of car accidents may involve mechanical failure or unsafe road conditions. Under these circumstances, the fault of the driver may be determined by the other contributing circumstances. However, if the condition of the car is one that could have been prevented, the driver is still at fault. When roads are unsafe, it is the responsibility of all drivers to use extra caution in order to prevent accidents.

Car Accident Prevention

There are many ways in which we can all contribute to the prevention of car accidents, depending on the circumstances. Some prevention tips include:

• Avoid medications which warn against operating vehicles while taking it
• Get a good and restful night's sleep prior to driving for long periods
• When taking breaks on long trips, take breaks every two hours
• Share the responsibility
• Avoid alcohol when driving
• Avoid driving for long periods after a work shift
• When drowsiness, discomfort or loss of concentration occur, pull over and stop for a while

Unfortunately, you can follow all of these tips and still may find yourself in a car accident due to someone else's negligence. If this happens to you, please do not hesitate to contact Austin-based husband and wife team car accident attorneys, Gonzales and Gonzales.