It turns out that the shortest car trips can be the worst. An Austrian telematics provider called Dolphin Technologies has released a study showing how the risk for a car crash is highest during trips that are shorter than 10 minutes. Drivers in New York who use their vehicles for short trips should take note.
The results in more detail
Dolphin was able to compile data from 40,000 drivers who had installed its devices on their vehicles. The anonymized data encompassed 3.2 million car trips made between 2018 and 2019, and of these trips, 1,986 ended in an accident.
Naturally, the majority of car crashes (87%) were short: less than 30 minutes, to be exact. Only 1% exceeded an hour. Yet out of all the accidents, one quarter occurred within the first three minutes of driving. Fourteen percent of crashes arose just three to six minutes after drivers started their journey.
Avoiding accidents on short and long trips
Ten-to 20-minute trips had the lowest crash risk. After that, the longer the trip was, the more the risk increased. On the one hand, drivers should consider walking or riding their bicycle for trips shorter than 10 minutes. On the other hand, those who need to take long trips must allow for frequent breaks to dispel fatigue. Avoiding phones and other distractions is paramount.
Having an injury case evaluated
As always, the main thing is to avoid negligent behavior behind the wheel. Unfortunately, many choose to drive distracted or drowsy and wind up colliding with others. If another driver caused your accident and your auto accident injuries are so severe that your personal injury protection cannot cover the losses, you may have the right to file a personal injury claim. A lawyer may help you gather proof of negligence, negotiate for a settlement and litigate if one cannot be achieved.