There are tens of millions of Americans who are driving cars and pickup trucks across the United States every day, but some of them may be safer and more responsible drivers than others. A number of factors may raise or lower the risks of a car accident, and this may range from a driver being impaired to bad weather conditions. There are statistics being kept to track how often auto accidents take place across the United States, and the numbers suggest that having auto insurance is often the right call. Insurance companies such as State Farm and others may provide automobile coverage to a customer’s satisfaction, and Farmers insurance may do a lot of good if handled correctly. A person may look for Farmers insurance in their home state for coverage, and an online search may be the best option for finding Farmers insurance suitable for them. A search query such as “Farmers life insurance North Dakota” or “Farmers insurance southern California” may be a fine way to start. What is there to know about auto accidents and insurance?
Rates of Auto Accidents
Drivers don’t have to get onto the road terrified for their lives, but they should be aware that impaired or distracted drivers may sometimes be encountered. That, or poor weather may make driving difficult for everyone in an area. Many Americans drive a vehicle while their BAC (blood alcohol content) is illegally high. A BAC of 0.08% constitutes drunk driving, and this alone is a crime whether or not a crash occurs. And those crashes often indeed take place. Nearly 300,000 drunk driving instances happen across the United States per year, and drunk drivers have impaired coordination, judgment, and reaction times. This means that they are likely to hit other cars, pedestrians, or property, which poses a grave threat themselves and other people and property. Many Americans are injured or killed every year due to drunk driving. Six million car accidents take place across the United States per year, and a generous portion of them are due to drunk drivers.
Distracted driving or bad weather may also impair a driver. A driver who is preoccupied with an electronic device like a smart phone is not paying attention to the road, so this driver may be too late to see and react to developments on the road. Distracted drivers may run red lights or stop signs, and they might hit oncoming traffic, pedestrians, or property such as fire hydrants or street lights. And finally, bad weather may cause a driver to lose control or hit other vehicles. Snow and rain can limit visibility, and heavy enough snow or rain will make the road slick and make it difficult to see other cars or pedestrians. This makes accidents more likely even if no one involved is drunk or distracted. On another note, while this may be more rare, vehicle malfunctions such as failing brakes or a burst tire may send a car out of control and cause them to hit another vehicle or a pedestrian.
Having Insurance
Many American drivers have proper insurance, and insurance policies such as Farmers insurance or others can act as an excellent precaution. Even the most careful drivers might someday get hit by a drunk driver, or they may get distracted just one and rear-end the car ahead of them. Statistics show that an average driver may expect one auto incident (minor or major) once every 17.9 years, and the most common auto insurance claims involve whiplash, fender benders, and theft.
Liability insurance, for example, is a basic but important aspect of a driver’s insurance. What does this mean? If a car driver hits another person’s car or a pedestrian, that victim may pursue litigation against the at-fault party or even take them to court. This can mean losing one’s entire life savings unless they have liability insurance. In this case, the victim will demand settlement money from the at-fault party’s insurance policy, rather than out of the at-fault party’s own pockets. Other insurance aspects may include paying partially or fully for repair to one’s car due to an accident. Demographics are a factor, however, and newer drivers may have more expensive insurance since they are statistically much more likely to cause or get into an accident.