Rear-end accidents are one of the most common traffic-related incidents that can be prevented with enough
caution. But disasters do not wait nor do they ask for permission to happen.
So, we rounded up three common causes of rear-end accidents and the injuries someone can get from
them.
CAUSES
1. DISTRACTED DRIVING
There are enough studies and reasons why there are laws implemented against texting while driving. Driving is a
skill that requires 100 percent focus. When a driver attempts to send a text message while maneuvering a vehicle
their attentions are diverted to their mobile phone. When this happens, the driver is less focused on the road and
everything happening in their surroundings, making the possibility of an accident greater.
2. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL
Alcohol alters your brain activity— it makes a person make decisions at a slower rate than normal. Because of this,
a drunk driver may need more than the usual four seconds to think before acting on a decision. When this
happens, an accident will inevitably occur.
In the case of driving under the influence of drugs, certain medications can make a person tired or hallucinate. If
these are the side effects of your medicines, avoid driving at all cost. The last you want to do is doze off at a
highway driving 80 miles per hour.
3. FAULTY BRAKES
Cars have a periodic maintenance schedule for a reason. Brakes have to be at top shape every time the car is taken
on the road to make sure that the passengers will arrive at their destination safely. It also helps keep the road a safe
place for everyone else. When we share a road, it doesn’t only mean giving way to other vehicles, it also means
doing your part to make sure that everybody else on the road is safe.
INJURIES
1. WHIPLASH
Caused by a sudden violent movement of the head and the neck, this injury is on the top of the list for rear-end
accidents. The extent of the damage of the injury varies depending on the collision between the two vehicles.
Victims of whiplash are often required to wear neck braces to make sure that the muscles and the veins of the
head or neck won’t suffer any further stress while recovering.
2. TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
The worst cases of rear-end collisions have taken lives, or have caused traumatic brain injury. Unlike whiplash,
brain trauma is more complicated to treat. Doctors have to run a series of tests to make sure that the brain is not
fatally damaged. It is tricky to detect because symptoms can sometimes show up until there is too much damage.
If you are a first-time car owner, there are various laws that you should be aware of, so you know your rights and
what steps you need to take if you are ever in a rear-end accident.
