The environment is a marvel. Even though many take its beauty for granted, there’s at least one time you’ve stopped for a moment to appreciate all that’s around you, including trees, animals, buildings, white stretches of snow, rivers, the rain, and so on. Unfortunately, these wonderful things can also cause accidents when you’re not careful. When road safety experts talk about Environmental Factors Can Cause a Car Accident that can contribute to a car crash, they often include non-living things and situations that are out of your control when driving.
Common Environmental Factors Can Cause a Car Accident
- Weather Conditions– Adverse weather conditions like high winds, heavy rain, and storms can make roads impassable and worse, increase the chances of road accidents. However, even mild conditions like morning fog or normal rains can reduce visibility or reduce traction on the tires, all of which can contribute to a crash.
- Road Hazards–Common hazards on the road, such as animals, fallen objects, puddles, potholes, fallen objects, debris, and unsafe roads can all cause a car wreck. The impact of such accidents tends to be severe because the driver was likely caught unaware, and sometimes, at high speeds.
- Malfunctioning Signage– Road signage plays a crucial role in enforcing order on the roads, giving directions, and maintaining road safety. A road sign failure or lack of altogether can create confusion, especially for new drivers of the route and high-traffic areas like intersections.
- Ongoing Construction– While road constructions and repairs improve our roads and improve safety in the long run, they can also become a risk factor. Construction sites with poor signage and no warnings beforehand can be a recipe for disaster. Debris and other construction material left on the road can also cause car accidents.
- Unfamiliarity With a Route– Taking a new route, whether for travel or other purposes, can be adventurous and risky at the same time. To reduce your chances of encountering the unknown, ensure that you research the roads, possible accident hotspots, presence of trucks, area topography, and expected weather conditions.
- Slick Roads– Icy or wet roads are slippery and make it hard for a car’s tires to hold ground on the road as required. Drivers can easily slide or find it hard to brake, causing all types of accidents.
- Glare– This is one of the most overlooked environmental causes of an accident. Glare affects a driver’s ability to see oncoming vehicles and surroundings, making it possible to cause a crash. Glare accidents can occur due to another driver’s reckless driving or brighter-than-normal street lights.
Can You File a Car Accident Claim?
The answer to whether you have a claim or not depends on many factors that lead to or caused your accident. A car accident attorney can investigate the incident to determine if negligence was involved, and by whom.
For instance, if the accident occurred along a particular building’s driveway, you might have the right to sue the building owner because they failed to provide a safe environment for drivers.
Another example is when you get into a head-on collision near a construction site due to things like road hazards or improper signage. In this case, you might be eligible to file a car accident claim against a government agency, an independent construction company, or another driver on the road.
However, this does not mean that you cannot receive compensation if the accident was not a result of another person’s negligence. For instance, what happens when bad weather causes a crash? If human error is not to blame, you can still file a claim with your auto insurance company because most policies cover Environmental Factors Can Cause a Car Accident like weather-related damages and other hazards.
Article Submitted By Community Writer