Figuring out who is actually at fault for a car crash can be a complicated process. It is common for both drivers to try to blame the other and downplay their own contributions to the situation. Some people outright lie to the other driver or to the police officer who comes to take the crash report.
In rear-end collisions, fault for the crash may seem relatively obvious. Most people tend to assume that the driver in the rear vehicle must be at fault for a rear-end collision. Given Alabama’s law about maintaining a safe following distance in traffic, it is reasonable to assume that the driver in the rear vehicle might be to blame.
When one driver leaves inadequate space or tailgates another motorist, they are probably at fault if they cause a crash because they cannot stop quickly enough. However, there are certain situations where the driver in the rear vehicle might not be the one who caused the crash.
How might drivers in front vehicles cause rear-end car wrecks?
Improper driving practices
Many of the ways that drivers cause collisions relate to small choices that can have relatively significant traffic safety implications. For example, many drivers think nothing of making turns without first indicating their intent. Failing to consistently use turn signals may not seem like much of a safety issue, but it can lead to a rear-end crash.
Being quite aggressive when turning or merging can also lead to rear-end collisions. A driver who turns onto a street without leaving adequate space for an oncoming vehicle or speeding up quickly could cause a rear-end crash. The same is true of someone who merges too closely in front of another vehicle in traffic.
Inadequate vehicle maintenance
One of the most common reasons that a driver is at fault when someone else rear-ends them is that they don’t properly maintain their vehicle. If brake lights or turn signals have burned-out bulbs, then the driver in the rear vehicle has no way of knowing what the driver in front of them intends to do.
They may not start slowing down when they usually might because they don’t realize the driver in front of them is about to stop or decrease their speed. Burned-out bulbs can be the reason that a driver in a front vehicle is to blame for a rear-end crash.
People involved in rear-end crashes caused by the operator of the vehicle in front of them may need help proving that they were at fault. Gathering evidence from the scene of the crash, including the names of witnesses, can make a major difference for drivers involved in a rear-end collision who didn’t cause a wreck by tailgating.