Hit list: Which kinds of car accidents happen most frequently?
An online car insurance site recently decided to figure out which kinds of car accidents happen most frequently, the Boston Globe reports.
Some drivers might be surprised by the news that two-vehicle accidents comprise less than 50 percent of all collisions and crashes.
The website analyzed data submitted by more than 42,000 people shopping for car insurance. The buyers input information about any prior accidents they had been in, so that they could compare insurance rates from various companies.
The site’s managing editor noted that when most people buy insurance, they do it to have a safety net in place when one car slams into another. “But more than a third of all incidents involve things like a parked car, the weather, vandalism, hitting animals or road debris,” the editor said.
At the top of the list of most frequent auto accidents are the two-vehicle crashes, which make up 45 percent of all accidents.
Other accidents:
- Single-vehicle accidents: 7.9 percent
- Crashes due to an act of nature (flood, snowstorm, etc.): 5.8 percent
- Accidents involving a vehicle hitting a parked car or tree: 5.4 percent
- Potholes and debris-related crashes: 2.9 percent
- Vandalism: 2.4 percent
- Accidents involving striking an animal: 2.4 percent
- Windshield or glass damage: 2.2 percent
- Pedestrian accidents: 0.4 percent
(Note: figures do not add up to 100 percent.)
The insurance rate site helps people compare potential rates for collision, comprehensive and liability insurance.
After a car accident causes injuries, the injured should speak with an attorney who can protect their rights and financial interests before they discuss a settlement with an insurance company.
Source: Boston Globe, “Does your auto insurance cover that damage?” Feb. 17, 2013
- Our Massachusetts law firm represents people injured in Boston car accidents.
