Causes of Colorado Springs Car Accidents

Written by Jeremy D. Earle, JD

February 15, 2023

The weather in Colorado may be either lovely or harsh. Every year, major car accidents occur in Colorado Springs due to bad weather, whether it’s snowstorms in the winter or heavy rain or fog in the fall, both of which may cause slick roads and impaired visibility. Weather is a major cause of car accidents in Colorado Springs, but it is far from the only one. Congestion, in particular, is a persistent issue in Colorado Springs that contributes to accidents, particularly when distracted or aggressive driving, speeding, and road rage are factors.

Suppose you were injured in an car accident in Colorado Springs caused by someone else’s negligence or recklessness. In that case, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills and lost quality of life. Warrior Car Accident Lawyers, a Colorado Springs car accident law firm, can assist you in making sense of the procedure and ensuring your right to compensation.

A $1.58 million judgement for a client who suffered a back injury in a car accident; A $1.58 million award for a client who suffered a back injury in a car accident;

A $1 million payout for a client who sustained a SLAP rupture in his shoulder and a neck injury in a car accident via mediation. A $775,000 settlement for a father and son who both suffered damage to their spinal discs in a car accident through mediation

CAR ACCIDENTS AND THEIR CAUSES

A variety of factors may cause car accidents in Colorado Springs. Some of the most prevalent are listed below.

SPEEDING

More than a quarter of all fatal collisions on Colorado highways are caused by speeding. Driving faster than the stated speed limit and driving faster than is safe for the weather or traffic circumstances on major Colorado Springs roadways is referred to as speeding.

Speeding is more prevalent among young male drivers, and it occurs more often late at night and on weekends. Speeding reduces the amount of time it takes for a driver to detect danger and react by braking. 

A decrease in the effectiveness of the car’s safety features, such as the steel frame, seat belts, and airbags An increase in the severity of the collision A higher risk of losing control of the car. Difficulty for other drivers in judging a safe gap in traffic in which to pull out onto the roadway

TAILGATING

Tailgating, or following too closely behind the car in front of you, is one of the most prevalent causes of rear-end collisions, which are among the most common multi-car collisions. If the driver of the leading car abruptly stops or slows, the tailgating car may not have enough time or space to brake or use evasive manoeuvres to prevent a collision.

Every year, around 1.7 million rear-end accidents occur in the United States, accounting for roughly 28% of all collisions. While many people consider rear-end collisions trivial, they may result in catastrophic injuries or even death. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, collision avoidance technologies might save nearly 80% of rear-end collisions.

DRIVING WHILE DISTRACTED

Distracted drivers are becoming one of the most dangerous traffic dangers in the United States. Anything that:

diverts the driver’s attention away from the goal of safe driving is considered a driving distraction. Cognitive distractions are what they’re called.

Removing the driver’s hands from the steering wheel. Manual distractions are what they’re called.

Takes the driver’s gaze away from the road. Visual distractions are what they’re called.

Law enforcement personnel and government officials are particularly concerned about texting or another mobile phone usage since it causes all three sorts of distractions. In 2010, Colorado was one of the first states to pass laws prohibiting texting while driving.

Individuals in Colorado Springs are prohibited from sending, typing, or reading electronic messages while driving.

IMPAIRED BY ALCOHOL

Alcohol impairs the skills required to safely operate a car. Unfortunately, many individuals are unaware that alcohol impairment occurs before the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reaches 0.08 grammes of alcohol per deciliter of blood, the legal level of impairment for an adult driver over 21 in Colorado Springs.

Impairment, on the other hand, begins with the first drink.

A driver’s ability to monitor a moving object or multitask is already impaired at 0.02 BAC, equal to one alcoholic drink.

A driver’s coordination is impaired, steering is difficult, and responsiveness to emergency driving scenarios is lowered at 0.05 BAC, which is still under the legal limit for driving on Colorado Springs’ roads.

At 0.08 blood alcohol concentration (BAC), the legal limit, the driver cannot focus and recall recent events, regulate speed, or process information effectively, and has considerably impaired perception.

At 0.10 BAC, the driver’s ability to maintain a single lane of travel and successfully brake is significantly reduced.

At 0.15 BAC, the driver’s ability to manage their car, pay attention to the job of driving, and comprehend aural or visual information is severely impaired.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

Alcohol is one of several drugs that may impair the abilities and skills required for safe driving. Whether illicit, prescription, or over-the-counter, many substances may make driving a car dangerous by producing sleepiness, inability to pay attention, or even aggression, depending on the kind of medicine or drug. It’s impossible to anticipate how a drug may affect one’s ability to drive, particularly since individuals sometimes combine drugs, resulting in various effects for different people.

DRIVING WHILE TIRED

When a motorist does not get enough sleep or the kind of sleep required to safely operate a car, fatigued driving occurs. While virtually every motorist has driven while tired at some point, fatigued driving is especially dangerous for night or swing shift employees and long haul truck drivers, who drive during hours when the body naturally wants to sleep.

Nodding off

Reacting more slowly to changing road conditions, other drivers, or pedestrians Impaired judgement

Failing to maintain a single lane of travel 

Experiencing tunnel vision, which occurs when someone loses track of what is going on in their peripheral vision

Experiencing microsleeps, which are brief periods of sleep as long as 30 seconds Failure to Produce

In some situations, all drivers must cede the right-of-way to other road users, such as: When there’s a red light

When there’s a flashing yellow light At a stop sign

At a designated crosswalk

When making a left turn in an intersection without a turn arrow When backing out of a parking lot spot

When doing a U-turn

When a car fails to stop when it is someone else’s time to proceed through the junction or use the travel lane, they have failed to yield. Failure to yield is the leading cause of fatal broadside T-bone crashes, which account for 30% of all traffic deaths.

ROAD RAGE/AGGRESSIVE DRIVING

It’s a popular misconception that aggressive driving and road rage are the same thing. They relate to two distinct driving practises that have some of the same potentially dangerous characteristics. Any risky driving activity that disregards safety is referred to as aggressive driving.

Speeding in congested areas Tailgating

Cutting off other drivers and then slowing down Running red lights

Improper lane changes; weaving in and out of traffic Changing lanes without signaling 

Blocking other cars trying to pass or change lanes

Sixty-six per cent of all road deaths are caused by aggressive driving.

On the other hand, road anger was coined by a Los Angeles news station in the aftermath of many killings on highways around the city. Road rage is a deliberate act intended to put other people or their property at risk or attack another motorist with a car or another weapon.

Honking aggressively at other cars, shouting obscenities or making unpleasant gestures at other drivers, and exiting one’s car at a stop to physically confront another motorist are all examples of road rage behaviours.

Attempting to smash or push another car off the road Using a weapon to assault another motorist at a halt

In seven years, road rage was responsible for more than 200 killings and 12,000 injuries on American highways.

OBTAINING COMPENSATION FOR A CAR ACCIDENT IN COLORADO SPRINGS

Suppose you were hurt in a Colorado Springs car accident due to someone else’s negligence or recklessness. In that case, you might file a personal injury lawsuit to get compensation for the costs and consequences of your injury. A personal injury lawsuit is a civil action filed within three years of the date of the accident. You are attempting to demonstrate who was at fault for the accident, the injuries and effects you suffered, and that the guilty person should be held accountable to compensate you via the claim.

YOU MUST ESTABLISH THE FOLLOWING TO PROVE CARELESSNESS OR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY:

The at-fault person owes you a duty of care. The duty of care relates to how a reasonable person would conduct in a particular situation to prevent causing damage to others.

There was a violation of the duty of care; a driver owes other users a responsibility to operate their motor car safely and lawfully. This implies the at-fault person did anything that breached their duty of care, such as speeding, running a red light, driving while distracted, or driving while intoxicated, and the breach resulted in an accident, which resulted in your injuries as well as additional consequences and expenditures.

The term “recovering damages” refers to reimbursement for the costs of your injury’s economic and non-economic losses.

Medical expenses, such as ambulance transport, emergency treatment, surgery, physician’s services, hospitalization, diagnostic or laboratory tests, physical therapy, and the provision of prosthetic limbs, crutches, or a wheelchair are some of the expenses and impacts that a personal injury claim commonly recovers:

Lost wages, if your injury prevents you from working

Loss of future earning capacity if your injury results in permanent disabilities and you can no longer work

Suffering and agony, both physical and emotional

Loss of pleasure of life if your injuries prohibit you from participating in activities or hobbies you enjoyed before the accident.

An car accident may affect every area of your life, including your capacity to make a living, maintain mutually happy and active relationships with family and friends, finish your education, and participate in society. Allow a Colorado Springs car accident lawyer to assist you in regaining control and recovering damages for your Colorado Springs car accident.

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