Startling Facts About Car Wreck Crimes

Car accidents are something that occurs all over the world. It is a worldwide problem that, unfortunately, keeps on growing. These accidents are caused by different reasons and they lead to different outcomes.

Some are minor, but some can be gruesome. There are car wrecks that would just leave dents and scratches on vehicles and would not have injured anyone. However, major accidents can be life-threatening and a traumatizing experience to victims.

Although they might be called accidents, some of these are actually considered a crime. With the growing number of car accidents happening annually, car wreck crimes and cases have also increased.

What type of car crashes are considered to be a felony? Learn more about car wreck crimes and the startling facts that come with them.

How Does It Become A Crime?

Take note that not all traffic violations are considered a crime. Some of the things that happen on the road are simply violations. However, some of these violations can lead to tragic events. Most of the car accidents that are considered a crime are caused by the following:

DUI

DUI or driving under the influence is sanctioned to those who operate a vehicle while under the effects of certain substances like alcohol or drugs. This practice is a dangerous act that is sadly done by several people. It is actually one of the most committed offenses by drivers despite the aggressive campaign against it.

Hit and Run

If a driver collides with another car or a pedestrian, he or she is responsible to take care of the victim. They should at least take the time to evaluate and assess the damage they caused and offer help by giving them medical and financial assistance.

Unfortunately, some drivers run away from these responsibilities and leave victims to handle themselves. This type of crime is also one of the offenses that occur often.

What is challenging in these types of cases is that most victims do not get the justice they deserve. A lot of the at-fault drivers are never caught or takes a long time before apprehended. Victims are forced to take care of the expenses caused by the accident.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving is essentially a general term for the bad driving habits that drivers do on the road that leads to accidents. The lack of discipline on the road and constant violation of traffic rules result in reckless driving. This pertains to overspeeding, distracted driving, etc.

There is no reckless driving crime specifically. It is unlikely that suspected drivers would be brought with criminal charges but they may face a lawsuit.

Vehicular Homicide

Vehicular homicide or manslaughter is somewhat a more appalling crime compared to the others. This happens due to the negligence, irresponsibility, and dangerous driving of people that causes them to take the life of another person (another car passenger or driver, or pedestrian).

Vehicular homicide can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. Depending on the extent of negligence of the driver, they can be charged with either of these two.

Fleeing the Police

Some drivers would hit and run, so somehow, it is not a surprise that there are people who would still run despite facing the authorities. Fleeing the police is considered a crime and will usually lead to pressing charges against the driver.

The Grueling Reality

With the different possible offenses from car wrecks, there are several taunting facts related to these crimes.

Did you know that almost 65% percent of hit-and-run victims are pedestrians and cyclists? Imagine just crossing to the other side of the road and being hit by a car. No assistance is given to these victims by those who are at fault. Cyclists are facing dangerous travel on the road since most roads are not designed to have bike lanes.

It is enraging to hear that almost 90% of hit-and-run cases are never solved. One of the main reasons is that the driver was not and cannot be identified.

It would also crush your heart to hear that people of a young age are one of the prominent victims of car accidents. Car crashes are the number one cause of death in teens. It is terrifying to learn that around eight teens die every day because of DUI.

Driving under the influence of alcohol is the usual case encountered by authorities. The McCormack Law PC believes that driving under the influence (DUI) or operating under the influence (OUI) is the most common car wreck crime they handle. Almost 40% of fatal crashes involve alcohol. DUI cases usually not only injure the drunk driver but would often hurt other people as well. On average, there are at least 10,000 deaths caused by DUI.

Interestingly, a friend of mine who works for a Minneapolis crime scene cleaning service once shared some insights with me. They mentioned that while their main focus is handling the aftermath of more grim incidents like murder scenes, they’ve also been called to assist after particularly devastating car accidents. It’s a stark reminder of the consequences of reckless driving and its impact on both lives and property.

Reckless driving is a common cause of accidents. Based on the statistics from an insurance company, the top reason why car crashes happen is because of overspeeding. There are more than 8000 drivers who drive too fast or exceed the speed limit and get involved in car wrecks.

There are at least 421,000 people who get involved in accidents with distracted drivers. Drivers are not focused on the road or are using their mobile devices usually texting while driving. Not a lot of people are aware of this, but chances of getting into accidents increase by 23 times while texting and driving

Car wreck crimes are one of the deadliest. Its high rising numbers in cases are becoming alarming. It is a global issue that seems not to be improving. Most of these car wreck crimes are interrelated or overlapping. A hit and run case may be because of distracted driving or DUI.

It is scary to hear and see the statistics. The huge numbers that support these facts are troubling. What is problematic about these types of crimes is that they are preventable. Accidents from DUIs and reckless driving can be prevented if only drivers are responsible.

With more responsible and careful drivers on the road, these crime stats will go. More lives will be spared and there will also be fewer commotions on the road to troubled travelers.