The Different Types of Car Accidents Explained

CategoriesTraffic LawTagged , ,

In 2019, 4.4 million people got into car accidents that required some form of medical attention. Meanwhile, around 38,000 people died on account of fatal car crashes. Despite tighter safety regulations, driving will always be dangerous.

To help protect yourself and others, it’s important to understand some of the different types of car accidents. In doing so, you’ll know how to avoid them. So what are some of the most common accidents to watch out for?

Keep reading to learn about some of the common types of car accidents.

Single-Car Accident

As its name suggests, a single-car accident involves one vehicle. Oftentimes, however, the driver is not the one at fault.

If something appears in front of the driver, they may have to take evasive action, which then causes them to swerve and crash. This can be anything from an animal, like a deer or raccoon, to another driver who’s spinning out of control.

Multiple Vehicle Collision

Multiple vehicle collisions can be one of the deadliest types of accidents. These involve three or more cars and can stem from a single event or a group of deadly events that lead to a pileup.

Multiple vehicle collisions are hard to avoid, which is why they often drag more cars into the mess. Whether or not you stay out of one depends on your distance from the other cars and your situational awareness.

Sideswipe Collision

Most drivers know not to drive next to other vehicles as they can easily disappear into your blind spot. If you fail to check your surroundings when merging, or just drift a bit into another lane, you can drag yourself and another driver into a sideswipe collision.

Depending on how fast you’re going, this can lead to a small bump or a massive blow.

Vehicle Rollover

Another deadly type of car accident is a vehicle rollover. This happens when a car flips onto its side then rolls over several times. The velocity can often eject passengers out of the car.

If you’re in an accident, you want to make sure that you’re wearing your seatbelt. Buckling up before you start driving can help you survive deadly accidents, like vehicle rollovers.

Head-on Collision

Head-on collisions often happen when someone drives the wrong way down a road, or on the wrong side of a road. The driver then smashes into the front of another car.

Head-on collisions are hard to avoid, as well as sudden and extreme. Minor injuries are almost expected, and fatal injuries are common as well.

Understand the Different Types of Car Accidents

Most people forget how dangerous driving a car can be, but the truth is that you always need to have your guard up. By understanding the different types of car accidents, you can help prevent them from happening, helping both you and other drivers stay safe.

Do you now have a better understanding of the different car accident types? If you do, take a moment to check out some of our other posts for more helpful guides and tips.

About the author