Not only does a vehicle get its passengers from one location to another, but it also acts as a form of protection against other vehicles on the road. Unfortunately, in some cases, a vehicle’s components may put its passengers at risk. Tires are a key factor in vehicle performance, and when tires fail, catastrophic accidents can occur. Understanding how tire blowouts are caused and who may be responsible for the blowout can help injury victims start to recover from these accidents.

What Causes Tire Blowouts?

Many tire blowouts are a result of hazardous road conditions. When potholes are present on roadways, tire blowouts are much more likely to occur. Other hazards that may create cuts or small punctures in the tire exist on all roadways, and it is the driver’s responsibility to monitor their tire’s tread for damage. It is also critical for a driver to monitor their tire pressure. It is not uncommon for tire blowouts to occur due to the tires being overinflated or underinflated.

In some cases, tires are sold after they have spent a considerable amount of time on shelves, making them much older than buyers assume. Additionally, high speeds and aggressive braking can lead to tires weakening at a quicker rate. Driving at high speeds can also lead to tread separating from the tire, often leading to severe accidents.

Any type of motor vehicle accident can threaten the safety of those directly involved as well as those nearby. Rollovers, often associated with larger vehicles like pickups and SUVs, are some of the most life-threatening accidents that occur both on and off roadways. After a rollover, it may be very difficult to establish who is responsible for a victim’s injuries and understand how the crash happened. Personal injury attorneys who have experience handling rollover accidents can be a great asset for victims in these cases.

The Dangers of Rollover Accidents

Accounting for 6,358 fatalities throughout the U.S. in 2019, rollover accidents are one of the most dangerous vehicle crashes. When a vehicle tips onto its roof or side during an accident, it is considered a rollover. In the majority of instances involving this type of accident, the vehicle makes an impact with something else prior to the roll. This may include another vehicle or a fixed object. When rollovers take a vehicle off of the roadway and passengers are thrown from the vehicle, fatalities are much more likely to occur.

There are numerous commonalities across individual rollover crashes. The majority of rollover accidents that end fatally involve only one vehicle. Fatal rollover crashes are often associated with high blood alcohol concentrations. Additionally, it is more likely for SUVs and pickup trucks to be involved in fatal single-vehicle rollovers than small cars.

Car crash injury victims may be affected by the accident for the remainder of their lives. Vehicle collisions can stem from a range of causes; however, human error is frequently involved. Head-on collisions are a type of vehicle accident that is often caused by a driver’s negligence. While head-on collisions are fairly uncommon, the results of such an accident are often devastating.

Conifer, CO Head-On Collision Leads to Multiple Fatalities

During the late afternoon of Thursday, August 26, a Colorado man allegedly caused a head-on collision on Highway 285 near Conifer, leading to the deaths of three people, including the driver himself, and serious injuries to others. Other victims included a 55-year-old woman and her 2-year-old granddaughter, who suffered fatal injuries in the collision.

Colorado State Patrol has reported that the man attempted to make an illegal pass before crashing head-on into another vehicle. Eyewitnesses have reported that prior to the crash, they had reported the driver for reckless driving and speeding. At this time, Colorado State Patrol is investigating the possibility of alcohol and excessive speeding being factors in this fatal collision.

The average driver does not expect to get in a car accident. However, when a driver chooses to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, they are making their chances of causing an accident substantially greater. If you or a loved one has been injured due to another person’s impaired driving, a personal injury attorney can assist you in recovering damages and holding the at-fault parties accountable.

The Dangers of Drunk Driving

The adverse impact alcohol has on an individual’s ability to drive makes drunk driving incredibly dangerous. Alcohol-related car accidents resulted in 192 Colorado fatalities in 2018 according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The consumption of alcohol negatively affects a person’s ability to make rational decisions and react quickly, as well as their overall coordination. Drivers who get behind the wheel when intoxicated are also much more likely to speed or even drive on the wrong side of the road.

This behavior puts everyone on the road, including the drunk driver, other drivers, and all passengers, at risk of some sort of collision. Certain injuries arise more often than others in the event of a drunk driving accident. Some of the more commonly sustained injuries include fractured and broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, lacerations, and internal organ damage.

When people think of car accidents, they likely think of car-on-car collisions. However, accidents involving pedestrians can also cause severe damages and possible fatalities. According to AAA Colorado, since 2009, the number of pedestrians killed on a yearly basis in Colorado has nearly doubled.

Urban areas have seen the highest increase in pedestrian fatalities, which occur most often on sidewalks, the side of the road, and crosswalks. Some of the most common causes for pedestrian accidents include a driver’s failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, to come to a complete stop at a stop sign, or to maintain control of their vehicle. Drunk driving is also a common contributing factor. Colorado has made an effort to combat these tragic accidents, strengthening its state laws and penalties.

Colorado’s Efforts to Minimize Pedestrian Accidents

Colorado has implemented various traffic laws that pertain to expectations for both drivers and pedestrians. It is possible for both the driver and the pedestrian to fail to follow these rules. Right-of-way laws in Colorado dictate when motor vehicles must halt and yield to pedestrians. Specifically, Colorado law reserves the right-of-way for pedestrians at all crosswalks and intersections, requiring all drivers to stop completely and allow the pedestrian to safely cross. This rule is maintained in circumstances when traffic signals are not present or are not working properly.