High speed car accidents on Washington’s freeways are a major safety concern. With speed limits ranging from 60 to 70 mph on many highways, even a momentary lapse in attention can lead to devastating crashes at high velocities. This article will examine some of the main dangers of high velocity accidents on Washington freeways.
Causes of High Velocity Crashes
There are several common causes of high speed crashes on Washington highways:
- Excessive Speeding – Speeding above the posted limits is unsafe and reduces a driver’s ability to respond in an emergency. At 70+ mph, a car can lose control and crash easily.
- Impaired Driving – Drunk, drugged or drowsy drivers often cause high velocity crashes by having slow reaction times and poor decision making at high speeds.
- Aggressive Driving – Weaving dangerously between lanes, tailgating and other aggressive behaviors often lead to loss of control, especially at high speeds.
- Driver Inattention – Distracted driving behaviors like texting, eating or chatting can cause a driver to drift out of their lane or react slowly to stopped traffic ahead when driving over 60 mph.
Higher Likelihood of Serious Injuries and Fatalities
The faster a vehicle is traveling at the time of impact in a collision, the more serious the injuries sustained by occupants. High velocity crashes on freeways are therefore much more likely to cause severe injuries or fatalities compared to lower speed collisions.
At 70 mph, a head-on collision has impact forces equivalent to driving off a 7-story building and landing on solid concrete. The human body cannot withstand such traumatic forces. Nationwide, over 50% of highway accident fatalities occur in crashes where at least one vehicle was traveling over 60 mph.
Common Severe Injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injuries – The violent back and forth motion of the head in high velocity crashes often leads to concussions or more serious brain bleeding and swelling. These can leave accident victims with permanent disabilities.
- Spinal Cord Injuries – Fast decelerations and impact forces on the spine can crush vertebrae and rupture discs, damaging the spinal cord. High velocity crashes often paralyze victims from the neck down.
- Multiple Fractures – It takes immense force to break strong bones like the femur thigh bone. High speed crashes often cause multiple bone fractures in the body.
- Internal Organ Damage – The impact of airbags, seat belts and steering wheels on the body in high velocity collisions can rupture or detach internal organs like the liver, spleen and intestines.
- Amputations – Occupants ejected from vehicles or whose limbs are crushed during the metal twisting of a violent collision often suffer amputated arms, legs or feet.
Difficulty Rescuing Victims
The mangled, crushed wreckage left behind by a high speed multi-vehicle freeway pileup can make it very difficult for first responders to rescue injured or trapped victims. Specialized equipment like the Jaws of Life may be required to pry open crushed vehicle frames to free occupants before transporting them to trauma centers. Valuable rescue time is lost as fire crews work carefully to avoid further injuring seriously wounded victims.
Deadly Collisions with Vehicles and Objects
Two types of collisions become exponentially more dangerous at highway speeds above 60 mph:
- Vehicle vs Vehicle – Head-on, sideswipe, rear end and angle crashes between two vehicles on the freeway involve the combined impact forces of both vehicles. This doubles the force applied to occupants compared to hitting a stationary object.
- Vehicle vs Object – When a car traveling at 70+ mph crashes into a concrete highway divider, bridge support, or large tree, the force applied to the vehicle and occupants is massive. Victims often do not survive these types of high velocity crashes.
Long Term Consequences for Victims
Those who manage to survive a major high velocity freeway crash often face a lifetime of disabilities, chronic pain, mental trauma and reduced quality of life. Some common long-term consequences include:
- Permanent Disabilities – Severe brain, spinal cord and internal injuries can leave victims wheelchair-bound, unable to walk or care for themselves independently ever again.
- Chronic Pain – Shattered bone, nerve damage, arthritis and scar tissue caused by the initial injuries and multiple surgeries needed to treat them can cause constant, debilitating pain.
- PTSD – Many survivors experience flashbacks, anxiety, nightmares and uncontrollable fear when riding in vehicles, a condition called post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Loss of Income – Inability to return to work after a serious crash can lead to job loss, financial hardship and an uncertain future.
- Strain on Families – Caring for a permanently disabled crash victim can socially and financially devastate families.
- Depression – Coping with trauma, altered physical abilities, changed appearance from scars, and loss of independence often leads to severe depression and desperation.
- Addiction to Prescription Painkillers – Doctors frequently prescribe addictive opioid pain medications to help victims manage chronic pain after high velocity collisions.
Costs to Society
Beyond the immense emotional toll on victims and families, high velocity freeway crashes also incur major costs to society as a whole. These include:
- Emergency Response – Police, fire trucks, ambulances and medical helicopters dispatched to freeway accident scenes incur substantial public costs.
- Hospital Bills – The extensive surgeries, tests, treatments and medications needed to save and support seriously injured victims rack up enormous healthcare expenses.
- Disability and Rehabilitation – Taxpayers cover much of the ongoing care and rehabilitation services required for disabled survivors.
- Legal System Costs – Lengthy court cases, attorney fees, expert testimony and damage awards drive up costs of the legal process after fatal or severe injury crashes.
- Insurance Premiums – High velocity crashes drive up liability and medical insurance rates for all consumers to cover large accident claim payouts.
- Lost Productivity – Permanently disabled young victims represent decades of lost economic productivity and contribution to society.
Avoiding potential high velocity collisions on Washington’s busy freeways requires drivers to make smart decisions to protect their own lives and the lives of others sharing the road.
If you have sustained an injury in a high speed collision, contact a car accident lawyer at Monge & Associates. We have offices in 32 locations and 19 states, including Washington, Florida, and Ohio.
Call now for a free consultation on (888) 477-0597.