The Five Most Likely Reasons You’ll Get Into a Traffic Accident

People make mistakes. Sometimes they result in vehicle accidents, causing injuries and deaths. The Kentucky State Police tracks the causes and circumstances of the state’s vehicle accidents and issues annual reports. The 2024 report is the most recent and provides insight into why bad things happen on our roads.

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, advocates for our clients injured by others’ negligence, including those causing accidents while committing crimes. We will provide you with the skilled, aggressive legal representation you deserve. Learn more by calling our Louisville office at (855) 385-9532.

Both you and the other driver may have committed errors that led to your accident. Given Kentucky’s comparative negligence law, your award will be cut by your share of the blame.

2024 Kentucky Traffic Accidents by the Numbers

The Kentucky State Police’s (KSP) 2024 numbers are based on accident reports. Officers filling out forms can list up the three reasons for the collision. Depending on the accident, they may overlap, like using illegal drugs and fatigue.

The state had a total of 139,022 reported vehicle accidents on public highways, private property, and parking lots in 2024. They caused 711 deaths, and 29,940 people were injured. Your accident is unique, but the following five mistakes caused nearly 76% of Kentucky’s 2024 vehicle accidents.

1. Driver inattention – 36%

This is by far the most frequently cited cause by police in traffic accidents. If we add a similar issue, distraction, they caused 39.8% of Kentucky vehicle crashes in 2024. If these problems hadn’t occurred, we may have had about 284 fewer people killed in vehicle crashes in the state.

This is a catch-all category where the driver wasn’t paying close enough attention to the road, traffic, or conditions, without a more specific reason being identified.

2. Not under proper control – 12.24%

This might be checked off if the driver failed to manage the vehicle properly because the driver lost, or never had, proper command of the vehicle. It drifted out of a lane, the driver failed to steer appropriately, or lost control without a clear mechanical problem. This infers an overall problem with controlling the vehicle. The officer may check off another reason why these problems occurred, like drug or alcohol involvement.

3. Failed to yield – 11.62%

The driver did not have priority to move forward compared to others in the situation. The driver didn’t yield the right of way to another vehicle, pedestrian, or road user when they were legally required to do so.

4. Misjudged clearance – 9.68%

The driver incorrectly estimated the space between their vehicle and another object, vehicle, or pedestrian, which contributed to the crash. The officer attributed the problem to the driver’s mistake in perception or judgment, which can happen when the driver does the following:

• Misjudges the gap when merging into traffic
• Underestimates the space needed to pass another vehicle
• Incorrectly judges clearance when pulling out of a parking space or driveway
• Misjudges the distance when making a turn without hitting a curb, barrier, or other vehicle
• Sideswipe collisions where a driver believes they had enough room away from another vehicle to switch into its lane, but did not

This isn’t “not under proper control” because misjudged clearance implies the driver controlled the vehicle but made a perceptual or spatial error.

5. Following too closely – 6.15%

The driver didn’t maintain a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of them. It was the driver’s choice or failure to maintain adequate space that played a role in the collision.

This can happen in the following:

• Rear-end collisions where the driver did not have enough time or space to stop without hitting the other vehicle
• Chain-reaction crashes where one vehicle following too closely triggers a multi-car pileup
• Tailgating on highways where higher speeds require much longer stopping distances
• Following too closely in adverse conditions, such as rain, fog, or ice. A following distance that’s safe in perfect conditions may not be when visibility and traction are poor

This could also be aggressive driving, in which the driver may cut off other drivers, speed, and misjudge the distance to other vehicles.

Non-Driver Accident Causes

Problems caused by drivers are clearly the most common cause of crashes. The top vehicular/mechanical issues were brake failures (1.16%), and the most dangerous environmental issues were slippery roads (7.34%), followed by animals (5.78%).

Speak To a Satterley & Kelley, PLLC Car Accident Injury Lawyer Today

Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, can protect your interests and rights to compensation for your accident-related injuries and losses, no matter the cause. Schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your case. Call our Louisville office at 855-385-9532 or locally at 502-589-5600 or complete our contact form if it’s more convenient.