5 Facts About Being Rear-ended

According to the Washington Post, there are about 1.7 million rear-end collisions in the United States every year. Of those rear-end collisions, approximately 500,000 are injured and 1,700 fatalities are reported.

Accidents that involve a rear-end collision most often occur in areas where there are changing traffic patterns, and many can be avoided. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cites that 87% of rear-end collisions occur because the driver wasn’t paying attention.

Although no two accidents are identical, there are some common links among most rear-end collisions. The following are the five most common facts about being rear-ended.

Rear-end Collisions Are a Common Type of Traffic Accident

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, between 28 and 40% of all traffic accidents that occur in the United States involve rear-end collisions.

Christopher A. Hart, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, is a proponent of making collision avoidance systems a standard feature of all new vehicles. An estimated 80% of rear-end collisions could be avoided with collision avoidance systems.

Rear-end Collisions Are Often Caused By Driver Negligence

Distracted driving, driving under the influence, and aggressive driving are major contributing factors to driver negligence. If the driver is found to have been negligent, they will be legally responsible for all injuries and damage from the accident.

The Driver in the Rear Is Usually Held Liable for the Accident

Since most rear-end collisions are a result of negligence on the rear driver’s part, most accidents result in them being liable. However, sometimes the driver in front is held liable.

Can I be held liable if my car is rear-ended in a crash? Whether or not you can be held liable if you’re rear-ended depends on the factors of the accident. In some instances, you can be held liable even if you were rear-ended. Some of these instances include:

• Your car broke down and you failed to pull it off the road, which caused another car to rear-end you
• You used your brakes quickly for no reason, causing the driver behind you to crash into you
• You turned or changed lanes without signaling, or pulled out in front of a car quickly without giving them enough time to react
• Your car was in reverse when the accident occurred
• Your car did not have properly functioning brake lights, which caused the car behind you to crash into you

Young, Inexperienced Male Drivers Are More Likely to Be Involved in Rear-end Collisions

Research shows that young, male drivers under the age of 18 are most likely to rear-end other drivers. The next likely age group is males between the ages of 18 and 24, and over the age of 70. In contrast, drivers between the ages of 25 and 69 are least likely to cause rear-end collisions.

Rear-end Collisions at High Speeds Are Dangerous

High-speed accidents are always more severe, however, rear-end collisions at high speeds tend to result in major injuries and damage. This is especially true if a smaller vehicle runs into the back of a truck without underride guards, a vehicle running into a motorcyclist, or if the drivers were not wearing their seatbelts.