Common Causes of Maryland Car Accidents
Car accidents are a significant concern in Maryland, leading to numerous injuries and fatalities each year. Despite the improvements in vehicle safety technology, the common causes of Maryland car accidents remain the same. Only when autonomous driving becomes mainstream, a technology we are likely decades away from, will humans continue to make mistakes behind the wheel. These common causes of accidents are the things that make us human. Humans get distracted, tired, and impatient. Those things likely will never go away. For the time being, the best thing we can do is to drive with caution and anticipate negligent driving on the road before it is the cause of injury to us and our families. As we will discuss, while human error is the primary driver of car accidents in Maryland, it is not the only one.
Weather conditions, vehicle mechanical problems, and traffic flow errors can all account for causing an accident. When one of these common causes is the reason for your accident, we have to take a closer look to determine who is at fault. Educating yourself about these common causes is the first step toward prevention. That is what we aim to do below. Then, we explain in great detail the steps you need to take to protect your legal rights and take the first steps towards compensation. As always, an experienced attorney at Gelb & Gelb is ready to help you navigate the legal process. Whether you are a new driver or have years of experience behind the wheel, this knowledge fosters a safer driving environment for everyone.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is one of the most common causes of Maryland car accidents. As smartphones became mainstream, they have taken over our lives. Many people struggle to put their phones down even for a ten-minute drive to the store. Consequently, drivers are taking their eyes off the road more than ever. This is a form of negligence. While we do not necessarily need to prove that the driver was on their phone, we need to prove that the driver performed the negligent act caused by distracted driving. Their car may be slowly drifting out of their lane and into yours. God forbid, if they do this and it results in a head-on collision, the results can be fatal.
Texting and driving are not the only forms of distracted driving that make up our list of common causes of Maryland car accidents. Even speaking on the phone is a distraction when behind the wheel. It is illegal to drive while holding the phone up to your ear. While a hands-free device is permissible, it can still be distracting. Your attention may be diverted, particularly if it is an important work call. There is little that a driver can do short of pulling over to the side of the road, which sometimes is the best option. Other distractions may be the radio, changing the song, the air temperature, or something on the side of the road that catches your eye.
Whatever it is, please be aware of other drivers who may be paying less attention to the road than you.
Speeding and Reckless Driving
Speeding and reckless driving are among the most common causes of Maryland car accidents. Especially when someone is late for a business meeting, lunch reservation, or to pick up a friend, they often resort to speeding. While this may seem like the best option to make up for lost time, it rarely is effective at saving you time. Of course, the better option is to plan better in advance. Other drivers have even less of an excuse for speeding or driving recklessly. Yet, you can observe speeding just about every time you drive on the road in Maryland. While this is not a unique issue to Maryland, it threatens Maryland residents daily.
When a driver is speeding, they reduce their car’s ability to turn around tight corners. This makes avoiding sudden obstacles more difficult and the odds of a car accident more likely. This, in combination with how ubiquitous speeding is across Maryland, spells a big issue for the safety of Maryland drivers.
Drunk Driving and Substance Abuse
Despite the many convincing public safety campaigns that have fought against drunk driving, it remains among the most common causes of Maryland car accidents. Fortunately, the rise of Ubers has allowed for a decrease in drunk driving accidents in Maryland. In Maryland, the average number of fatalities from impaired driving is 169. This does not necessarily mean that 169 people were killed by another careless driver. But it does mean that it is extremely deadly. The Maryland government study considered Alcohol, illegal drugs, and prescription medications in their idea of impaired. Moreover, there are about 3,000 injuries that result from impaired driving annually. Criminally, Maryland has enacted Noah’s Law in 2016. This requires a person convicted of certain alcohol-related driving offenses to participate in the ignition interlock system program.
However, this is distinct from the civil aspect of a claim. If a drunk driver in Maryland injures you, it is crucial to speak to a Maryland accident attorney immediately to discuss the viability of your case.
Poor Weather Conditions

Unlike the previous common causes of Maryland car accidents, weather conditions do not relate to human error. Nonetheless, if a human driver succumbs to poor weather conditions and injures another driver, that driver is still at fault for the accident. No matter the weather conditions, every driver still has a legal duty to maintain control of their vehicle. A failure to do that is a breach of a legal duty and leads directly to civil liability. For example, who is at fault if another driver drives through snow and ice and fails to stop because their wheels cannot gain traction on the ice and rear-end your vehicle?
The answer is that the driver who rear-ended you is at fault. While it is true that the ice is an “actual cause” of your injuries, it is not the legal cause. The legal cause is that the driver failed to drive reasonably, given that there was ice on the road. Accordingly, with the help of a skilled Maryland car accident lawyer, you can successfully make a claim against another driver for an accident involving poor weather conditions.
Failure to Yield Right of Way
Failure to yield accidents most commonly occur when the adverse driver is at a stop sign, yield sign, or even attempting to merge into your lane in traffic. In any of the three instances, if you have the right of way, a failure to yield is sufficient for the negligent driver to be liable for your injuries. Because a failure to yield to the right of way can apply in so many instances, it is one of the most common causes of Maryland car accidents.
Speak to an Attorney to Learn More About Common Causes of Maryland Car Accidents
If you are in a Maryland car accident for any of the foregoing reasons, it is critical to get legal assistance right away. Statutes of limitation may reduce your ability to make a claim if you wait too long.
Call our office today for a free consultation at (202) 331-7227.
