Jersey Shore Personal Injury and Employment Specialists

3 car accident points all parents should remember

On Behalf of | Jan 23, 2017 | Car Accidents |

Parents with young children must teach their children how to remain safe around vehicles. This isn’t something that is easy, but because some drivers become so comfortable with driving that they start to do things on auto-pilot, it is necessary. These drivers can be especially dangerous because they don’t pay attention to what is going on around them, so accidents can occur. Parents should remember these three points when they are working to keep their children safe.

Type of accident matter

Car accidents occur in various types. The circumstances of the accident and the parties involved dictate the type of accident. Pedestrian, bicycle, semitruck, rollover, rear-end, T-bone and sideswipe accidents are a sampling of the different accident types. It is important to note that not all car crashes involve a moving vehicle. A person in a car who opens a door near a bike lane could cause an accident if she opens the door into the path of a bicycle. For this reason, parents should try to teach their children to watch for others when they ride bikes or walk because other people aren’t necessarily going to watch for them.

Accident causes vary

Just like there are many types of car accidents, there are many causes. Distracted driving and drunk driving are two that are especially troubling because they are both preventable. Several actions, including texting, eating, putting on makeup and similar actions distract drivers in a way that could lead to an accident.

Simply avoiding distractions, and avoiding getting behind the wheel after drinking, could prevent these tragic mishaps. In the case of distracted driving, more than 400,000 people are injured and drivers who aren’t giving their full attention to the road kill more than 3,000 each year. Reckless driving, which includes driving too fast, failing to obey traffic signals, and driving in a way that puts others at risk, is another common cause of accidents.

Injuries range from minor to fatal

The five most common injuries in a car accident include neck injuries, broken bones, leg and knee injuries, concussions and back injuries. Each of these requires medical care that ranges from short-term to long-term. In the case of concussions, back injuries and neck injuries, there is a chance that the effects of the injury could be life-altering. In some cases, those injuries might be fatal. Medical evaluation of a child after a car accident is usually a good idea. You might opt to seek compensation if another driver injured your child.