Oregon’s traffic crashes claim many lives and result in the injury of thousands each year. There’s no debate that traffic accidents could be reduced in the state, and while efforts are made, those efforts can’t help you after an incident has occurred. If you’ve been the victim of a car accident, then you are likely seeking compensation with the help of your attorney. To build your case, you may want to consider some of these facts about motor vehicle crashes in Oregon in the year 2013.
What is very telling about the crashes is that 16.5 percent involved drivers between the ages of 15 and 20. This means that the drivers were relatively new at driving and may have been distracted, misunderstood road marking, speeding, or committing other offenses.
The reason behind an accident matters when a driver is being neglectful, like if a teen is on the phone or if a driver is eating and not watching where he’s going. Another interesting point is that the most common time for accidents to happen was during rush hour, which is between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Fridays in December were the most likely to have accidents, which could be due to added poor weather conditions and the rush to get home from work.
The top four errors made by drivers in Oregon include failing to stop when there is a parked vehicle ahead on the roadway, failing to yield to another person’s right of way, failing to stay in the lane, and running off the road. Eliminating these mistakes could help reduce and even eliminate many of the injuries and deaths seen on the roads today.
Source: Oregon.gov, “2013 Oregon Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes Quick Facts,” accessed Oct. 08, 2015