Who’s at fault for your car crash?

Australia ranks 17th out of 34 OECD countries for road fatalities per 100,000. This is a better score than American motorists have recorded. However, 10% of all car crashes results in multiple deaths. Over a third of all crashes occur in major cities where the traffic lanes are more likely to be saturated. However, while the figures might sound worrying at first, it’s important to remember that road fatalities are dropped by half over the past 30 years, with effects on passengers, pedestrians and cyclists too. However, the constant increase in the number of vehicles on the road makes it difficult for drivers to eliminate the risks of car accidents completely. Indeed, while the fatalities have dropped significantly, the number of injuries sustained in an accident is on the rise, meaning that the overall number of accidents remains high, ranking up a cost of over $33 billion in 2016. For drivers involved in a crash, the first question now is to figure out who is liable. The vehicle is faulty: Driver’s fault Unless exceptional situations, no insurer or court will take a faulty vehicle as an excuse. Indeed, if your car is not in a safe driving condition, you, as a driver, have to deal with the consequences. It’s a driver’s primary responsibility to maintain their car, which is why you will struggle to shift the blame onto someone else. Owners who have chosen to buy a second-hand vehicle, especially, need to make sure their car is reliable. You can’t claim you didn’t know the… Read More