Like drunk driving, distracted driving can be avoided by drivers who are taking proper care behind the wheel. Sending text messages, making phone calls, eating, playing with the radio, or having a conversation can all distract a driver away from the road and into a crash. NHTSA estimates that in a single recent year, over 421,000 people nationwide were injured in distracted driving crashes.

Most drivers think of “speeding” as going faster than the posted speed limit. While this is a common type of speeding, it is not the only type. Driving too fast to control your vehicle in the weather, lighting, and other surrounding conditions is also speeding – and it can easily cause a serious accident. NHTSA estimates that speeding is a factor in one in every three car accidents, and that the costs of speeding-related crashes top $40 billion nationwide each year. Side-impact collisions due to driving at high speeds are very common, as are failing to stop for red lights or signs and sliding on wet or icy pavement because the car was going too fast for safety in bad weather.

In most parts of the United States, rain causes more crashes than snow – but both can be dangerous, particularly during Utah’s often snowy winters. Fog, wind, and darkness or glaring sunlight that make it hard to see can also cause serious accidents, especially if a driver is not paying attention or is not prepared to make the adjustments necessary to keep driving safely in bad weather.

Some accidents cannot be predicted or prevented by the people involved. This is because the crash is caused not by a driver’s negligence, but by a hidden defect in one of the vehicles or its equipment or parts. If a defect results in an accident, the injured parties can often pursue compensation from the vehicle manufacturer, distributor, or mechanic if the defect was supposedly addressed. To know whether a defect caused an accident, a thorough investigation is required.

In a drunk driving accident, an injured motorist may seek damages not only from the driver, but also from an alcohol vendor or social host who continued to serve the drunk driver after realizing he or she was drunk. This type of case is known as “dram shop” liability. In a dram shop case, the injured person must demonstrate that the bar, restaurant, or host served alcohol to someone who was “actually or apparently intoxicated” or underage. The purpose of dram shop cases is to compensate those who are injured by drunk drivers and also to encourage alcohol vendors to watch carefully whom they serve.