Violent Head-On Collision Results in Two Car Accident Fatalities

 Posted on August 07, 2018 in Car Accidents

Two Chicago area teens were killed when their Subaru sedan collided with a Chrysler 300 late Saturday night in a high speed head-on collision. The collision, which occurred on Doty Avenue in Chicago’s Far South Side, serves as a sobering reminder of the violence of many head-on collisions. All four passengers involved in the collision suffered serious injury, with the two Subaru occupants suffering fatal injuries. 

Tragically, this accident was just one of many fatal head-on collisions that occur each year around the country. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as many as six million automobile collisions occur each year nationwide. While head-on collisions are less common than rear-end collisions and other types of automobile accidents (head-on collisions account for 7% of all urban vehicular crashes and 13% of all rural accidents), they come with increased chances of fatal injuries. 

Why Are Head-On Collisions So Dangerous? 

Head-on collisions come with an increased risk of severe, and even fatal, injury. One major reason for this is the fact that the two vehicles involved are colliding after traveling in opposite directions. This can increase the volatility of the crash due to the combined speeds of the two vehicles coming together. The drivers and front-seat passengers involved in head-on collisions face increased risk of serious injury due to limited protection, as well as the areas they leave susceptible to injury (head, chest, stomach, etc.). For these reasons, head-on collisions represent one of the most dangerous forms of automobile accidents. 

Avoiding Head-On Collisions 

Part of the reason head-on collisions are one of the least common forms of vehicular crashes is due to the fact that the vast majority of head-on collisions only occur in the instance of overt driver error. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), distracted driving kills an average of nine Americans on a daily basis. In a large number of head-on collisions, the accidents occur due to a distracted driver who strays out of their lane and into the path of oncoming traffic. Next time you get in your car, avoiding distractions may just save your life. 

Contact a Lake County Car Accident Lawyer

At Salvi and Maher, L.L.C., our team of personal injury attorneys know just how traumatic a motor vehicle collision can be for the entire family. If you or a loved one are injured in a head-on collision or any other type of car accident this summer, contact a Waukegan personal injury attorney to learn about your options for pursuing compensation for your damages. To set up a free consultation, call our office today at 847-662-3303.

Sources: 

http://abc7chicago.com/2-killed-2-injured-in-head-on-far-south-side-crash/3843087/

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/810625

https://www.nationalsafetycommission.com/traffic-safety/news/77

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/index.html