An average of 6 million car accidents occur in the U.S. every year, with 3 million of those involved resulting in injuries.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, car accidents are the No. 1 cause of death for children and young adults ages 5 to 24 and the second cause of death for adults 25 and older.

And, if those statistics aren't gruesome enough, 2 million of the drivers involved in car accidents experience permanent injuries every year.

Here's what you need to know about the top 3 reasons for car accidents:

DISTRACTED DRIVING:

There are three types of distracted driving:

Manual - When you take your hands off the wheel or your hands are being occupied by something else.

Visual - When you take your eyes off the road.

Cognitive - When your mind is not focused on driving.

For example, taking your eyes off the road for even 4.6 seconds is the equivalent of driving an entire football field blind.

SPEEDING:

High speeds make a car accident more likely because it takes a longer distance to stop or slow down. They also make collisions more deadly because crash energy increases as speed goes up.

Here are a few steps to take to prevent speeding:

• Stay Alert
• Know who's around you
• Think safety first
• Keep your speed down

DRUNK DRIVING:

Almost every 90 seconds, a drunk driver injures a victim in a car crash.

If you plan on drinking - plan on having a designated driver or use a ride sharing service like Uber or Lyft.

Our law firm pursues two things if someone calls our office because they've been injured by a drunk driver - compensation and punishment.

Compensation would include:

• payment for medical bills
• and lost wages
• and money for pain and suffering.

And the punishment we seek is in the form of punitive damages.

These are damages designed to PUNISH a driver for their bad conduct and to DETER them from repeating it.

If you have been injured in a car accident, fill out our free case evaluation.