Motorists in Long Beach and throughout California face two types of risk factors while driving — human and environmental. Keeping those crash risk factors in mind might be the best way to avoid involvement in car accidents. The potential consequences for ignoring them are simply too great.
Human factors
Human risk factors are the most common cause of motor vehicle accidents. These factors vary from one driver to the next. Personal characteristics, including age or behavioral choices such as a driver using a mobile phone to make calls or texting while driving, are examples of human risk factors.
Groups often share similar characteristics and behavioral traits. For example, teenage drivers are more likely to be distracted. Age, gender, and alcohol or cannabis consumption are additional human risk factors that often result in fatal road accidents.
Environmental factors
Weather and road conditions fall under this category of risk factors. Poorly maintained roads exacerbate the risks of accidents. Examples include the following:
- Missing guardrails and barriers
- Potholes
- Confusing or missing road signs
- Unexpected road surface changes without warning
Disregarding human and environmental risk factors results in a significant number of lives lost on California highways. Surviving family members of deceased victims of car accidents caused by the negligence of others might have grounds to pursue financial relief by filing wrongful death lawsuits in a California civil court. Similarly, injured victims could seek damage recovery by filing personal injury lawsuits.