The Top 5 Most Deadly Types of Car Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and driving a motor vehicle is far and away the riskiest activity the average person engages in on a daily basis. And the trends don’t look good — according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic fatalities reached a 10-year high in 2021. While virtually any type of car accident has the potential to turn deadly under the right (or wrong) circumstances, some are deadlier than others. A Tifton car accident attorney can help those who have lost family members in car accidents recover. 

Angle Collisions 

According to 2020 data from the Insurance Information Institute (III), angle collisions are the most common fatal car accident, accounting for 18% of fatal car accidents nationwide. Angle collisions occur where one vehicle strikes another at an angle somewhere between 90 and 180 degrees (also referred to as a t-bone or side-impact collision). In addition to being one of the deadliest types of car accidents, angle collisions are also the most common, accounting for about 19% of all vehicle-vehicle collisions. 

Pedestrian-Related Accidents

The second most common type of fatal car accident is accidents involving pedestrians, accounting for 16.7% of all fatal car accidents. It isn’t difficult to see why this is the case; a vehicle striking a pedestrian can cause catastrophic and fatal injuries due to the size and weight of the average vehicle. Pedestrian-heavy urban areas, night driving conditions, and a lack of reflective clothing can increase the risk of pedestrian-related accidents.  

Head-On Collisions

Head-on collisions are the third most common type of fatal accident, accounting for 10.2% of fatal accidents. These types of accidents can be particularly dangerous if both vehicles are driving at high rates of speed, as the force of the impact will be doubled. For example, if two vehicles are traveling at 50 miles per hour when they collide head-on, the force of the crash would be equal to each vehicle slamming into a solid object going 100 miles per hour. 

Collisions with Culverts, Curbs, and Ditches

Coming in at number four are accidents involving collisions with culverts, curbs, and ditches, which account for 7.7 of fatal car accidents. These types of accidents broadly fall into the “collision with a fixed object” category in which a single vehicle leaves the road and strikes a fixed object, including culverts, curbs, and ditches. Fixed object-type collisions often arise where a driver swerves to avoid striking another vehicle and accidentally loses control. 

Rollover Accidents

Rollover accidents are the fifth most common type of fatal car accident, making up 7.5 percent of fatal accidents. Notably, they are the only type of fatal accident in the top five that does not involve a vehicle colliding with another object. Rollover accidents can result in occupants being thrown from the vehicle, the vehicle collapsing around its occupants, or occupants being pinned inside the vehicle. 

Get Started on the Road to Recovery with Help from a Tifton Car Accident Attorney 

If you or someone you care about suffered injury or death in a car accident due to negligence, you may be able to recover. For more information, please contact a Tifton car accident attorney at the Hudson Injury Firm by calling 229-396-5848 or using our online form.