Are Las Vegas Drivers at Greater Risk of Rear-End Accidents at Night or During the Day?
The Department of Transportation reports approximately 5 percent of motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S. are the result of rear-end crashes. When it comes to deadly motorcycle accidents, the LA Times also reports rear-end accidents account for approximately 3.5 percent of motorcycle fatalities.
More than 20 percent of all reported collisions in the U.S. are rear-end accidents, and many rear-end collisions go unreported. In fact, federal regulators estimate almost 2 million non-police reported rear-end crashes are happening annually in the U.S. 
A rear-end accident lawyer knows identifying the causes of these crashes is very important to protecting drivers in Las Vegas, Henderson, Primm, Summerlin, and surrounding areas. One recent study from the University of Iowa sought to identify some of the reasons why so many rear-end accidents happen. The study looked at the risks of rear-end collisions both during the day and at night.
Rear-End Collisions During the Day vs. During the Night
Rear-end collisions frequently occur in the daytime with unobstructed viewing conditions. When there is no difficulty seeing the car in front, the distraction of the driver who strikes the lead vehicle is one of the main reasons why these collisions occur.
The Department of Transportation reports driver inattention is the leading cause of rear-end accidents, followed by tailgating. Together, these two factors were the cause of 93 percent of rear-end accidents.
Despite this data, the researchers from the University of Iowa suggest there is more to the story. The high number of motor-vehicle collisions in daylight on straight roads does not necessarily suggest that drivers are less attentive during the day than at night. Instead, it suggests there is a greater opportunity for rear-end accidents under these conditions because it is more likely there will be two cars on the road in close proximity. While drivers may be just as distracted at night, there’s less chance there will be another car on the road in front of them for them to hit.
Traffic density thus plays a big role in making rear-end accidents more likely to happen during the day.
When it is dark outside and traffic density is lower, there is less overall risk of a motor vehicle accident.
Unfortunately, the relative risk of a fatal rear-end crash actually appears to be greater at night. This heightened risk of a deadly rear-end accident may have gone unnoticed by many researchers because there is a lower overall number of rear-end accidents at night due to lower traffic volume.
Drivers need to be aware that while paying attention and avoiding crashes during the day is important, they may be most at risk for serious injury or death at night.
Contact a Las Vegas, NV personal injury lawyer at Cohen & Padda LLP. Call today at (800) 967-1923 for a free case evaluation. Serving Las Vegas, Henderson, Primm, Summerlin, and surrounding areas.Â
