Sacramento Midtown Intersection Accident at 15th and L Streets
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento auto accident attorney. An accident in midtown recently involving several vehicles ended with one of the cars half parked up on a sidewalk near the International World Peace Rose Gardens. Fortunately, no injuries were suffered in the accident. The incident was placed under investigation by local police as to cause and to place fault.
What Happened?
The intersection accident happened around 2:00 in the afternoon at 15th and L Streets. According to a Sacramento Police Department officer, it appeared that one of the drivers had run a red light.
The Dangers of Intersections
Running a red light or a stop sign is one of the leading causes of intersection accidents. In 2015, two individuals, on average, died as a result of a driver who ran a red light or stop sign. According to a study performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the majority of drivers who run red lights tend to have the following characteristics:
- Those who run red lights are most often male drivers between 18 and 25.
- These drivers often do not use seat belts.
- People who run red lights are more likely to be driving with a revoked or suspended license.
- The driver is more likely to be in an older vehicle.
- Those who run traffic lights are more apt to have a poor driving record.
Causes of Intersection Accidents
Intersection crashes, as well as other types of accidents, are mostly caused by driver error. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 96 percent of all car accidents at intersections are the fault of one of the drivers. Reasons include:
- Improper surveillance is the cause of 44.1 percent of intersection crashes.
- Having an obstructed view causes 8 percent of crashes due to signage being obscured.
- Making a poor decision causes an accident about 10 percent of the time. This is normally because of a driver’s misinterpretation of what another motorist is going to do.
- Distracted driving contributes to about 6 percent of all accidents at intersections. Distractions can include chatting with someone else in the vehicle, eating or drinking or talking on a cell phone.
- Illegal turns such as turning at an intersection where it isn’t allowed cause about 7 percent of crashes.
- Hurrying to beat another vehicle across an intersection causes 6 percent of crashes.
Other Types of Intersection Crashes
Older drivers tend to be involved in other types of collisions at intersections other than running a stop sign or red light. For those who are 70 years old or older, 40 percent of their accidents occur at intersections. This is a much higher rate than that for younger drivers. The reasons for intersection accidents involving older drivers are as follows:
- Rear-end Collisions: Older drivers were slightly less likely to be involved in an intersection rear-end collision than younger drivers at 43 versus 45 percent of the time.
- Failure to Yield: Thirty-seven percent of the accidents involving older drivers between 70 and 79 are for this reason. Those who are over the age of 80 raise the statistic to 58 percent.
Sacramento Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento auto accident attorney. When a driver disobeys a traffic law, it can result in an accident and potential injuries to others. If someone injured you or your loved one through this type of negligence, you can recover fair compensation for your injuries. Call me today for free, friendly advice about your case at (916) 921-6400. For those phoning from long-distance, I can be reached at (800) 404-5400.
Sacramento and Northern California residents have trusted me with their claims for personal injuries for more than 36 years, including car accidents and wrongful deaths.
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