The Number One Cause of Virginia Traffic Accidents

If you’ve spent any time driving in Northern Virginia, you probably have your own personal list of driving pet peeves—the things you think other drivers are doing to contribute to accidents. According to recent data from the Virginia Highway Safety Office, annoying and dangerous driver actions such as tailgating and cutting other drivers off do cause the most crashes—beating out speeding and distracted driving by hundreds of crashes each year.

Leading Causes of Traffic Accidents in Virginia

Each year in Virginia, there are over 110,000 car crashes involving injury or death. In 2021, nearly 1,000 people lost their lives, and over 55,000 were seriously injured in auto accidents in the Commonwealth. According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, the leading causes of these crashes were:

1. Driver error. By far, the most common cause of traffic accidents in Virginia is driver error. Improper lane changes, failure to yield, following too closely, improper turns, and running a red light or stop sign account for nearly 30 percent of all crashes.
2. Speeding. Exceeding the speed limit was a factor in 20 percent of all crashes and 46 percent of all traffic fatalities.
3. Driver distraction. Distracted driving caused over 20,000 crashes in 2021, or 17 percent of all traffic accidents. The top three distracted driving categories were eyes not on the road, rubbernecking, and using a cell phone.
4. Drunk driving. Alcohol-related crashes account for about 6 percent of all crashes, but 26 percent of all traffic fatalities, meaning a large number of crashes involving drunk drivers are fatal.

Although these factors contribute to a large number of crashes in Virginia each year, they are not the only causes of devastating accidents. If you are hurt in a motor vehicle crash that was not your fault, it’s important that you work with an auto accident attorney to hold the negligent driver accountable for their actions.

Contact Our Northern Virginia Car Accident Lawyers for a Free Case Evaluation

If you were injured in a crash caused by a driver who was speeding, tailgating, sending a text, or driving drunk, you should talk to our car accident legal team to find out if we can help you hold the negligent driver accountable. You should not have to absorb the cost of your injuries and lost wages. Call our Front Royal office at 540-341-0007 to schedule a free case evaluation.