Motor Vehicle Accidents: A Killer on the Loose

What causes motor vehicle accidents? More often that not, it is negligent driving of a motor vehicle. Motor vehicles can be broadly classified as HMV (Heavy Motor Vehicles) and LMV (Light Motor Vehicles).

Motor vehicle accidents are further categorized as follows - car crashing against another vehicle; car crashing against a human; a car striking an object or meeting with a fall from a precipice amongst others.

Motor vehicle accidents are prevalent all around the world. So much so that the numbers for these accidents are quite staggering. As a result, many governments are making some moves towards reducing these accidents.

So What Causes Motor Vehicle Accidents?

* One major cause of motor vehicle accidents is over-speeding of the vehicle. In some cases, the accident is caused when a car goes over the prescribed speed limit. In most roads in the USA, there are speed limits that are strictly implemented at all times.

* Cases of Motor Vehicle Accidents are also reported due to a driver being drunk. If a person in an inebriated state drives a car, he may in all probability not have full control of the car's motion. Such drivers cause car crashes which could easily result in fatalities.

* Also, a vehicle may malfunction and cause a car crash or accident. Each motor vehicle is composed of many parts, such as the brakes, fuel pumps and accelerator. When these do not work, it may most likely lead to accidents.

Here are some data regarding Motor Vehicle Accidents

These numbers on Motor Vehicle Accidents may come as an unpleasant surprise to you. According to statistics, there are around 1,000 car accidents in the United States in a day. Statistics also show that in two car accidents, occupants of light cars such as the Honda, BMW, and the like can survive death around 92 to 94% of the time. This means that 6% of the time, a two car accident results in death. This comes around to 60 fatalities a day because of motor vehicle accidents.

How does the law step in?

Most national governments have laid down statutes which govern the occurrence of a motor vehicle accident. In the event of an MVA, the motorist responsible for the crash must stop driving immediately and ensure that the papers of the car and his insurance papers are handed over to the law enforcement officers present at the scene (Police, FBI etc). And if convicted of negligent driving or another driving related offense, the convict is either sentenced to jail or asked to pay a penalty amount.

The way ahead to stop vehicle accidents is to ensure that one drives safely. Though, the concept of manufacturing cars so that they comply with safety standards is increasingly gaining ground, the best policy is still summarized in the saying: "Drive Slowly, Reach safely".