March 4, 2021
Does Traffic Congestion Cause Car Accidents?
Is traffic congestion among the leading causes of car accidents? Does a traffic jam caused by an accident raise the risk of causing a secondary accident? While traffic congestion isn't as dangerous as drunk driving or distracted driving, it plays a significant role in causing automobile accidents. As more and more drivers take to the road, and fewer and fewer new roads are built, it is creating a situation where there are more drivers sharing less space. In turn, this may create a significant increase in the rates of automobile accidents in the future that are caused by congested roadways.
Is traffic congestion among the leading causes of car accidents? Does a traffic jam caused by an accident raise the risk of causing a secondary accident? While traffic congestion isn't as dangerous as drunk driving or distracted driving, it plays a significant role in causing automobile accidents. As more and more drivers take to the road, and fewer and fewer new roads are built, it is creating a situation where there are more drivers sharing less space. In turn, this may create a significant increase in the rates of automobile accidents in the future that are caused by congested roadways.
In Wichita, the new construction that has been going on on U.S. 54 or Kellogg near I-235 and out east near Webb Road and Greenwich is causing enormous wrecks day after day, week after week because everyone is driving too close, looking at their phone or their mapping device and it just keeps getting worse.
American drivers are driving more than ever. A combination of affordable vehicles, lower gas prices, and an economy healing from the financial crisis led Americans to drive more than 15 billion miles more in the first six months of 2015 than they did in 2016. The numbers continue to rise and the NHTSA reports that Americans drove 2.2% more in 2016 than in 2015. There are also more drivers than ever before. As of 2016, there were more than 222 million drivers in the country. This is more than double the 110 million recorded in 1970, and a significant increase over the 210 million recorded by the Federal Highway Administration in 2009.
Moreover, the average number of miles driven has increased from 10,000 in 1970 to approximately 18,000 for male drivers between the ages of 20-54, and 15,000 for female drivers in the same demographic. Nationwide, approximately 80% of the population between the ages of 20-64 have a driver's license. This is also the same demographic that is likely to have a full-time job that requires them to travel to and from work. Lower unemployment is tied strongly to driving rates as people with jobs drive 20 miles or more per day. This creates considerable congestion between the hours of 8am and 6pm in cities, towns, and in regions located near major metropolitan areas.
There are also fewer new roads being built. From 1980 to 1999, the number of new roads built increased by only 1.5% each year. That same period saw a 76% increase in the number of miles driven, and nearly a 100% increase in the number of licensed motorists. These are contributing causes of car accidents both in urban centers and rural areas whose infrastructure is not equipped to handle increased populations and traffic. In Wichita and Kansas, the roads take so long to build that some of the roads are under construction for years which leads to hundreds if not thousands of accidents.
Increased traffic congestion coupled with unsafe driving behaviors are creating an increase in the number of automobile accident fatalities. For example, 41% of motorists who died during daytime hours in 2016 were not wearing seatbelts. This was a slight 1% increase over 2015. Just a couple of years earlier in 2014, it was estimated that one in every four fatal traffic accidents occurred during "rush hour" which highlights the importance of wearing seatbelts during this time. In fact, research from the NHTSA showed that the evening rush hour from 5pm to 8pm in many large urban centers was the most dangerous time of day as motorists often rush home from work, to pick up kids from school, and to complete errands prior to returning home.
Bull Attorneys represents clients in Wichita, Dodge City, Garden City, Salina, Liberal, Hutchinson, Great Bend, Emporia, Colby, Goodland, Ulysses, Coffeyville, Pittsburg, Overland Park, Kansas City, Olathe, and other urban centers in Kansas. The car accident lawyers at Bull Attorneys also represent car wreck victims in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. Traffic congestion and unsafe behaviors during rush hour and other busy times of day are common causes of car accidents and motorists, pedestrians, construction companies, and government entities can be held liable for causing property damage, personal injuries, and wrongful deaths.
Our Wichita based personal injury attorneys are car accident lawyers who have offices across Wichita and in Garden City. Our team will instantly go to work to prove accident injury victims are not at fault. You can use our contact page or get a free call at our Wichita offices at 316-684-4400 and our Garden City office at 620-843-2855.
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