TOP CAUSES OF CAR ACCIDENTS IN NEW YORK

As one of America’s busiest states, New York traffic is infamous. Residents and tourists alike drive on New York’s roads every day, whether to commute to work, see the sights, or visit family. Unfortunately, this high level of activity and population density results in a high rate of accidents caused by traffic violations, driving mistakes, and conditions beyond drivers’ control.

No matter the cause of your collision, if you’ve been hurt in a crash in New York, you need a knowledgeable car accident attorney. The New York car accident lawyers at Chopra & Nocerino can help.

Leading Causes of Car Accidents in New York

Motor vehicle fatalities are on the rise in New York, increasing by 24.8 percent from 2019 to 2022. Car accidents are frequent in our state for many reasons, including but not limited to the many possible types of driver error. Common causes of car accidents in New York include the following.

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Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is one of the most common causes of traffic collisions in New York and elsewhere. Drivers can be distracted for various reasons, such as events outside the car, loud noises from children or passengers, and attempting to change vehicle features such as air conditioning or radio. Roughly 25 percent of New York car accidents in 2019 that resulted in fatalities or personal injury involved driver inattention or distraction.

One particularly common cause of distracted driving is cellphone use in the form of calls, texting, and other distractions. New York has specific laws against cellphone use while driving to combat distracted driving accidents. Over 1 million tickets were issued in New York state for cellphone violations from 2015 to 2019.

Drunk or Impaired Driving

Driving while drunk or under the influence of drugs, commonly known as DWI, frequently causes accidents and is illegal in all 50 states, including New York. State law includes many penalties for DWI infractions, including civil and criminal fines, license suspension or revocation, and even jail time, depending on the severity of the crime. DWI is also highly statistically likely to result in fatalities in car accidents, with nearly half of all fatal car crashes in New York in 2019 connected to drunk or impaired driving.

Speeding and Traffic Violation

Not only is speeding illegal, but it’s also incredibly dangerous. Speeding increases both the likelihood that an accident will occur and the likelihood that an accident will be severe, worsening the odds of injury or death in a car crash. Speeding was responsible for roughly one-third of all fatal crashes in New York in 2022.

Other traffic violations, such as tailgating, cutting off other drivers, and failure to use turn signals, put drivers, passengers, and pedestrians in danger. All moving violations in New York cause points to accrue on your driving record. Accruing 11 points within 18 months will result in suspension or revocation of your driver’s license.

Bad Weather Conditions

Rain, snow, fog, and ice are common in New York, especially in the winter. Any bad weather can create dangerous driving conditions and lead to collisions due to poor visibility, traction problems, and unseen road hazards. Inclement weather is a particularly common cause of crashes along the New York State Thruway, and weather-related crashes have disproportionate impacts in places with reduced traffic volume.

Vehicle Malfunction

Mechanical issues such as brake failure, tire blowouts, and steering problems are common causes of car accidents, particularly when drivers experience issues unexpectedly while operating their vehicles. Malfunctions can lead to product liability when the vehicle has manufacturing defects.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving is illegal under New York state law and considered a moving violation. The legal concept of reckless driving refers to driving without regard for others’ safety. Reckless driving includes deliberate failure to heed traffic signals, speeding well above the legal limit, swerving and weaving through traffic lanes, racing other drivers, and similar behaviors. Reckless driving results in five points being added to the driver’s driving record and is considered a misdemeanor.

Unsafe Lane Changes

There are many ways a driver can change lanes unsafely, including failing to signal, not checking blind spots before merging, and cutting off other drivers. Unsafe lane changes commonly result in accidents and result in the addition of three points to the unsafe driver’s driving record.

Inexperienced Drivers

Young, inexperienced, or newly licensed drivers are often at higher risk of being involved in an accident. These drivers tend to be unfamiliar with traffic laws and have had less time to develop safe judgment about driving decisions, leading to mistakes, traffic violations, and collisions with other drivers or pedestrians. Young drivers in New York are consistently overrepresented in accidents and are likelier than the average driver to receive tickets for speeding violations.

Aggressive Driving

Aggressive driving often resembles reckless driving and commonly includes behaviors such as tailgating, weaving, cutting off other drivers, and excessive honking or shouting at other drivers. However, aggressive driving is often more dangerous because it is specifically motivated by anger, often coupled with the desire to harm another driver by crashing into them or running them off the road.

Aggressive driving can escalate into incidents of road rage, generally involving verbal or physical confrontations between drivers that may involve drivers getting out of their vehicles to harass others on the road. Long Island, in particular, has cracked down on aggressive driving in New York after chronic incidents of road rage on local roadways that led to accidents.

Interested in seeing the areas of New York with the most accidents?

904 total accidents, 389 injury accidents, 2 fatal accidents

693 total accidents, 273 injury accidents, 1 fatal accident

657 total accidents, 310 injury accidents, 2 fatal accidents

Learn How Chopra & Nocerino Can Help With Your New York Car Accident

Car accidents are common in New York, and drivers are injured in accidents every day. If you’ve been hurt in a car accident in New York, Chopra & Nocerino can help. Call (855) NYC-HURT or contact us online to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation. Para servir mejor a todos los miembros de nuestra comunidad, ofrecemos servicios en español.