Springfield Virginia Motor Vehicle Accidents Blog

Teen drivers in Virginia may be more likely to cause car accidents in the first few months after they get their driver's licenses, according to one recent study. Conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Virginia Tech, the study placed dashcams inside teen drivers' cars to monitor the drivers and the roads. Software was installed to check acceleration and braking. All participants were monitored from the time they received their learner's permits until the end of their first year as licensed drivers. While teens have learner's permits, they must be accompanied by an adult when driving, but they can drive alone once they receive their licenses.

The differences were striking. Newly licensed teens in their first three months of driving solo were eight times more likely to have a car accident or a near-miss during that time than they were in the last three months of accompanied driving with a permit. The researchers found that teen drivers were likely to speed up too quickly, brake suddenly and turn sharply, leading to the possibility of a car accident. While the teens were actually safer drivers than adults were during the night hours and bad or rainy weather, they were dramatically more dangerous during clear, sunny days.

Virginia drivers who drive while drowsy, with children in the car, while using a cellphone or while angry may be more likely to have an accident. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have looked into each of those causes and some possible solutions.

It is conservatively estimated that more than one in five deadly motor vehicle accidents involves drowsy driving. Drivers who sleep just four to five hours a night are at least five times more likely to get in an accident compared to those who sleep seven or more. A nap is the best solution for drowsy drivers.

Road safety experts say that fatigue plays a role in at least 100,000 motor vehicle accidents every year around the country. Drowsiness is an especially pressing concern in the logistics sector because commercial vehicles weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and can cause catastrophic damage when they crash. The competitive and time-sensitive nature of the industry often compounds the dangers by putting great pressure on truck drivers to complete their journeys quickly.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration responded to this threat by putting hours of service regulations into place that put strict limits on the amount of time that truck drivers can spend behind the wheel before rest becomes mandatory. The rules require truck drivers to rest for at least 10 hours before starting shifts that can be no longer than 11 hours, but road safety advocates claim that they are often ignored and trucking companies sometimes encourage this behavior by offering incentives to drivers who deliver their loads ahead of schedule.

Sharing the road with commercial trucks often means embracing a certain degree of risk. Due to the discrepancy in size between passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles, the risk for severe injuries and catastrophic property damage is always present when these categories of vehicles collide.

Thankfully, there are steps that drivers in control of a passenger vehicles can take to reduce risks. Educating yourself about the three most common causes of commercial truck crashes is an important first step in improving your overall safety when sharing the road with large trucks.