A large portion of preventing car accidents is understanding what causes them. Collecting and analyzing car accident statistics is one of the primary mission statements of the Kansas Department of Transportation (KSDOT). Each year, they create a list of the top 40 contributing circumstances, ranked by how frequently the condition or circumstance was reported to have been a cause of a collision. The information also reflects accidents that are caused by more than one of the contributing circumstances.
As far as environmental circumstances, wild or domesticated animals straying onto roadways were reportedly involved in nearly 11% of all car accidents in Kansas for 2014, which is the most recent year with complete data sets. Ice, slush, and sleet proved to be the most dangerous road condition, causing 2% of all accidents and 30% more accidents than rain. Tire defects were the worst contributing circumstance caused directly by the vehicle itself, coming in at 0.5% of all accidents.
Crash Statistics Get Interesting
If you thought something might be suspicious about 10.8% of car accidents being caused, at least in part, by animals, you could be on to something. According to the same set of KSDOT crash statistics, 16.2% of car accidents involved driver inattention, and only 0.6% involved mobile phone use.
This number is quite contradictory to information other respected organizations often report, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), who each conservatively estimate that 25% of collisions across the country are caused by cellphone distractions.
It may be possible that people are falsely reporting that an animal, such as a squirrel dashing across the road, caused them to crash when, in reality, they were using their cellphone. This possibility is further promoted by the fact that 15.1% of all accidents were caused by “unknown” circumstances; in short, unknown could translate to unreported cellphone use.
No matter what caused your car accident, if you know it was not your fault, you should not be held liable for related damages. At Hutton & Hutton, our Wichita car accident attorneys can represent you in your injury claim, providing trial-tested and well-trusted legal advocacy in your time of need. Call (316) 688-1166 to schedule a free initial consultation with our team today.