Hawaiian drivers who act negligently or recklessly behind the wheel are generally more likely to cause car accidents. However, some forms of negligent driving are more dangerous than others. A new study by the University of Waterloo found that speeding was more likely to predict a car accident than any other type of aggressive driving.
Study researchers from the university used data from various insurance companies in the United States and Canada. Specifically, they used data from vehicles with on-board diagnostic devices. They looked at approximately 28 million trips to determine how hard braking, hard acceleration, hard cornering and speeding would make it more likely for a car accident to occur.
The study revealed that, out of the four, only speeding could be considered a strong predictor of accidents. Researchers noted that additional research would be needed to back-up their findings and address certain unknowns, such as what happens when more than one driver using the same vehicle. These findings may be used by insurance companies in the future. They may use this information to set insurance rates based on an individual’s driving behavior, rather than their age, location and gender, like is they currently do now.
More than affecting insurance rates though, for those injured in an accident due to another driver’s negligence, like angry, aggressive driving, a personal injury lawsuit against that driver can be filed to recover damages. These damages may cover medical expenses, pain and suffering, property damage, loss of earning capacity, lost wages and other costs.