Reasons why do people hit and run? Why do drivers leave the scene of an accident?
Current data shows that at least more than 700,000 hit-and-run accidents are reported in the USA yearly. A hit-and-run accident occurs when the driver flees the scene of an accident.
Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious crime here in the USA, and depending on the gravity of the crime, you could spend more than 15 years behind bars.
But why do drivers choose to flee the scene of an accident despite severe penalties for hit-and-run crime?
In my own opinion, reasons why people hit and run, include being uninsured drivers, fear of DUI convictions, panic, and intent to evade liability.
According to Morgan and Morgan law firm, “Drivers may leave the scene of an accident due to fear of consequences, emotional distress, lack of insurance, active arrest warrant, intoxication, or police response time”.
But is that all? what is a hit and run crime? What are the potential penalties for leaving the scene of an accident? For victims and drivers, what are the ways of preventing yourself from getting involved in a hit and run? ready? let’s dive deeper now!
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What is a hit and run crime?
An auto accident is said to be a hit and run accident if one or more of the drivers involved in the crash leaves the scene of an accident.
Here in the USA, every driver has a legal obligation to stop at the scene and exchange personal and car information, report the crash to the police and render help if there are injuries.
A driver who leaves the scene of an accident commits a crime known as a hit and run. Depending on the outcome of the accident, there is a possibility of charging you with a hit-and-run felony or at minimum a misdemeanor.
Why Hit-And-Run Drivers Flee the Scene?
In my own opinion, the reasons why hit-and-run drivers flee the scene of an accident, include fear of arrest, outstanding warrants, under the influence, panic, avoiding consequences, and callousness.
Having that said, below are some of the reasons why people do hit-and-runs in accidents:
1. Reckless or dangerous driving. Every driver has a duty of care towards fellow road users. Statistics have shown that especially in young drivers, reckless driving is a common problem.
2. Distracted driving. According to study reports published, using your phone while driving increases your likelihood of getting involved in an accident by 20%.
These drivers chose to flee the scene because they feared probably a nearby camera could have captured the whole footage of the accident.
3. Drunk or drugged driving. Did you know that here in the USA, around 28 people die every day due to drunk-driving accidents? I also recently read an article that reported that, yearly, more than 10,000 deaths occur due to drunk driving here in the USA.
For those who are not familiar with traffic laws, its a criminal case for any driver to hit the road while intoxicated. This is the very reason why some drivers choose to leave the scene for fear of additional charges.
4. Speeding. Remember, you are supposed to adjust your speed according to the road conditions or according to the surroundings. This is usually required by traffic police, and drivers may receive a ticket if the speed limits are violated.
If a driver causes an accident due to overspeeding, he/she may also choose to flee the scene because he/she knows the possible repercussions.
5. Disobeying traffic signals. Disobeying traffic signals predisposes to accidents. The driver may flee the scene of an accident if they think they caused the accident for instance by running a red light.
6. Road rage and reckless driving. Aggressive driving behaviors cause accidents. These aggressive behaviors include things like tailgating or overspeeding.
Such drivers who engage in road rage and other reckless driving will likely commit hit-and-run crimes because they are sure authorities will hold them accountable.
7. Driving while fatigued. Please, do not drive if you think you are fatigued or for any reason you are not feeling well. A few minutes of napping behind the wheels could prove disastrous.
8. Weather conditions. Extreme weather conditions may be a contributing factor to why auto accidents occur. These conditions include rain, fog, and snow.
9. Improper turns. You are supposed to follow traffic rules before making a turn.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, nearly 2.5 million collisions here in the USA occur at intersections. From other sources I visited, it is in agreement that more than 50% of the collisions are intersection accidents.
10. Road hazards. Yes, some drivers commit accidents after colliding with road hazards like potholes and or debris.
How can hit and run accidents be prevented?
Just like any other traffic accidents out there, hit-and-runs can be avoided by precautious driving, and stopping right at the scene of an accident irrespective of the severity.
Here are some tips to help avoid hit and run accidents:
1. Practise defensive driving. For example, take a moment when traffic lights turn green because there may be drivers rushing.
Other than taking chances, be cautious when traffic lights turn yellow. Drivers tend to speed up because they want to be through a yellow light.
2. Avoid distracted driving. Distractions include anything that takes away your attention from the road. A few distractions I know include attending to your phone, assisting your kid in the backseat, picking things that fell down, and eating food.
3. Avoid overspeeding. Yes, you can prevent hit-and-run accidents by observing posted speed limits and reducing speed in heavy traffic areas, and in areas with poor visibility.
4. Maintain a safe following distance. One of the main causes of rear-ended accidents is tailgating. To avoid accidents, you must leave an adequate distance between you and the front car.
Leaving in between a safe following distance allows you to react positively should the car in front of you swerve or stop suddenly.
5. Be aware of your surroundings. Remember you are not driving alone. always check your mirrors and be aware of drivers who are driving erractically.
6. Park in well-lit areas. According to the Denver Post, Allstate, and other sources, 69% of all hit-and-run accidents involve parked cars. If you want to avoid getting involved in a hit-and-run, make sure you park your car at a safe point.
7. Report suspicious behavior. That drunk driving driver you saw could cause an accident a few meters ahead. Always report such accident-causing things to the authorities.
To sum it up, To prevent hit and run accidents, measures such as increasing awareness, strengthening law enforcement, improving surveillance, encouraging reporting, stricter penalties, and community involvement can be helpful.
What are the legal consequences of a hit and run accident?
Here in the USA, the legal consequences of a hit and run accident depend on the local laws in your locality and the circumstances of the hit-and-run accident.
Though this could differ by a few things in your state, Here are some potential consequences;
1. Criminal Penalties: Depending on whether there were injuries/fatalities or not, the charge of leaving the scene of an accident is either a felony or a misdemeanor.
Consequences of committing a hit and run include prison sentences, fines and suspension or revocation of your driver’s license.
In the majority of states, the penalties for a hit-and-run felony is a fine between $5,000 to $20,000 and a prison sentence of up to 25 years.
2. Administrative penalties. In addition to the prison sentence, a hit and run perpetrator is likely to face administrative punishments. For instance driver’s driving rights may be revoked or suspended.
3. Civil lawsuits. In addition to the above punishments, if you caused the crash and left the scene, the victims have the right to sue you for monetary compensation.
You will be asked to compensate the victim by paying medical bills, lost wages, and property damage.
In short, The legal consequences of a hit and run accident in the USA can include fines, imprisonment, and civil penalties.
What should you do if you witness a hit and run accident?
In hit and run accidents, usually one of the drivers flees the scene of an accident leaving the victim at the mercy of the eyewitnesses.
Remember police will always rely on the available information/lead to track down and hold accountable the driver that did not observe legal obligations as far as car accidents are concerned.
If you witness a hit and run accident, here are the steps you should take:
1. Assess the situation. With a keen eye determine if there are injuries or any situation that warrants emergency services. The safety of the victims remains a priority.
2. Call emergency services. This is the second step especially if there are injuries. Remain on the line to receive the next steps from the officer who responded to your call. Just call 911.
3. Provide information. Take note of the car color, make, model, license plate numbers and any information you think will help investigators.
4. Record evidence. You are the only reliable source of information to the authorities. If you have a camera or smartphone, take photos/videos of the damages, injuries, and any other important piece of evidence like license plates.
5. Stay at the scene. Unless it’s safe to stay right there, wait till the police arrive and provide them with the information and pieces of evidence you gathered.
6. Cooperate with police. The information you have could be crucial in tracking down the hit and run driver and in solving the accident liability issues. Please don’t hide anything you observed or what you know.
7. Follow up if necessary. Sometimes you may be asked to appear in courts of law as a witness. You will need to get back to the authorities for proper guidance.
In short, If you witness a hit and run accident as a car accident lawyer, pull over, record information, call the police, provide assistance, consult an attorney, cooperate with authorities, document information, and be prepared to testify,
Conclusion.
In my own opinion, many people do hit and run just because they are in fear of what will happen next, have past criminal records, uninsured, problems with their driver’s license and others do it because of driving with the influence.
From research, The age group that commits hit and run accidents the most is not clear. However, drivers under 30 years of age are more likely to be involved in car accidents, including alcohol-related accidents
Finally, Drivers flee the scene of an accident due to reasons such as being uninsured, having an outstanding warrant, being under the influence, fear of arrest, legal problems, and poor lighting conditions.
Sources
- https://www.kaplanlawyers.com/blog/why-hit-run-drivers-flee-scene/
- https://www.sburkelaw.com/faqs/what-are-the-causes-of-hit-and-run-accidents-.cfm
- https://www.scartelli.com/hit-and-run-accidents-why-do-drivers-flee/
- https://www.farrin.com/blog/shocking-facts-about-hit-and-run-crashes/