Drivers must ensure that they’re operating their vehicles safely. When they don’t do this, innocent people can die. Fatal crashes that result from unsafe driver behavior can potentially lead to a wrongful death lawsuit. These cases tend to hinge upon the cause of the crash in question.
A study conducted by High Rise Financial shows an interesting snapshot of the more common causes of fatal crashes. The data studied was from 2012 through 2021. There were 507,728 drivers who were charged in the wake of fatal crashes evaluated as part of this study.
Top 3 driving violations in fatal crashes
The most common driving violation cited in this fatal crash data was reckless driving. It accounted for 4.66% of fatal crashes with 23,633 drivers charged.
Coming in second on the list was license violations. These accounted for 3.92% of violations with 19,888 drivers charged. This category included driving without a valid license, as well as vehicle registration violations.
Impairment came in third on the list. This violation accounted for 2.64% of the fatal crashes with 13,429 drivers charged. Drivers charged with violations related to drugs or alcohol were counted.
Other violations were much less common
There were a host of other driving violations that were part of the study. Rounding out the top seven were:
- 4: Turning violations (1.32% of violations, 6,698 drivers charged)
- 5: Driving on the wrong side (1.17% of violations, 5,960 drivers charged)
- 6: Speed-related violations (0.84% of violations, 4,252 drivers charged)
- 7: Traffic sign violations (0.65% of violations, 3,285 drivers charged)
The loved ones of a person who lost their life at the hands of a negligent driver may opt to pursue a wrongful death claim. These lawsuits can be complex. Working with a legal representative who can gather the facts of the case, including the cause of the crash, can be beneficial, given how much is at stake and how challenging it can be to hold certain liable parties to account.
