Rear-End Accidents and Distracted Driving

By Staff Writer

Were you recently involved in a rear-end car accident? Recent statistics from the NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicate that you’re far from the only one.

Data released by the NHTSA show that there were 2.1 million rear-end collisions in 2015. This accounts for 33% of all traffic accidents. Of those accidents, 2,200 involved fatalities, and more than 550,000 people were injured.

If you’ve been involved in a rear-end accident, chances are it was caused by a distracted driver. A study completed by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that nearly 90% of rear-end crashes are caused by distracted driving. The study also found that 81% of rear-end crashes happen when the driver is completely stopped, and most rear-end crashes happen during the day on level, straight roads. VTTI concluded that most rear-end crashes are avoidable.

Could Collision Avoidance Systems Prevent Rear-End Crashes?

Because distracted driving is the biggest cause of rear-end collisions, collision avoidance systems could prevent most of these accidents.

Collision avoidance systems, such as automatic braking systems and forward warning collision systems, are becoming more common in vehicles. These systems detect and warn or stop a driver when the sensors detect that a collision is about to occur.

According to a Special Investigation Report released in 2015 by the NHTSA, forward collision avoidance systems could drastically cut down on the number of rear-end crashes.

A study conducted by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that in the U.S., automatic braking systems have reduced rear-end accidents by 40%. Forward warning collision systems cut rear-end accidents by 23%.

In 2016, the NHTSA and IIHS announced that most car manufacturers had agreed to put an automatic braking system in all cars manufactured by 2022. Installing automatic braking systems as a standard in most cars could prevent many rear-end accidents in the future.

If you’ve been involved in a rear-end crash involving a distracted driver, understanding your rights is important. Contact the compassionate Tennessee auto accident attorneys at Gilreath & Associates to assist you today.

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