Taxis are common on most highways and streets worldwide–especially in a fast-paced, modern city like Las Vegas. Taxi cabs provide an essential service for the public, enabling people to get from one place to another without difficulty or hassles. Unfortunately, taxi accidents occur all too often, with many leading to severe injuries and fatalities. 

 

In the famed Sin City, taxis are involved in an average of 2,500 accidents yearly. Furthermore, cab drivers recieve about 3,000 citations on average for various driving infractions–a massive amount. And considering the city’s reputation as a tourist and industry hub, these taxis get a lot of customers–and these passengers can fall victim to an accident at any given time. 

 

In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at some common causes of taxi accidents to help you identify negligence; and how a Las Vegas taxi accident lawyer can help you if you become a victim. Read on!

 

1. Driver Fatigue

 

One of the most frequent causes of taxi accidents is driver fatigue. Most taxi drivers work long hours behind the wheel and may regularly push themselves beyond their physical limits to make ends meet. Such behavior leads to exhaustion that impairs their judgment and reaction time, thereby increasing the risk of crashes. In some cases, taxi companies may require drivers to work beyond recommended hours or fail adequately to monitor if their drivers take necessary rest breaks in between shifts.

 

2. Distracted Driving

 

Distractions such as texting while driving or attending phone calls are among major contributors to road crashes involving taxis. Modern technology has provided numerous distractions for motorists and made it easy always to take advantage of important notifications while in transit.

 

Drivers who frequently multitask often remove their attention from what’s happening around them, only noticing potentially dangerous road situations once it’s too late. In this case, a taxi company can be liable for any ensuing damages if they fail to train drivers adequately about responsible driving practices that will prevent distracted driving behaviors.

 

3. Poor Vehicle Maintenance

 

A poorly maintained fleet can lead to disastrous consequences when not correctly taken care of within recommended safety standards by regulatory agencies like transportation authority boards ( DOT ). Motors may experience mechanical failures, such as brake faults and malfunctioning lights, causing collisions.

 

Taxi companies must maintain regular vehicle inspections continuously and fix issues promptly before further damage occurs. Travelers should only allow boarding taxis that look worn out or have visible faults.

 

4. Speeding

 

Another common cause of taxi accidents is speeding. Some drivers rush to meet schedules and may speed up beyond the recommended limits, putting everyone in danger. Speeding reduces the driver’s ability to react quickly to emergencies such as sudden stops and slowed traffic. Traffic snarls within city centers may frustrate drivers, leading to aggressive driving tendencies and, eventually, crashes.

 

5. Intoxication

 

Driving while drunk or under the influence of drugs is exceptionally dangerous and can be fatal. Driving under these conditions impairs motor coordination, reaction time, focus, and vision, among other impairments that affect safe travel for passengers and pedestrians alike.

 

Taxi companies should mandate their employees to operate vehicles while sober, regardless of the situation–because impaired driving is just an extremely dangerous thing to perform, even for drivers with years upon years of experience on the road. Failure by a taxi company to carry out pre-employment checks could leave them liable if one of its drivers causes an accident due to intoxication.

 

Conclusion

 

Driving safety is critical; hence passengers should be aware of several ways to prevent severe car crashes from damaging not just lives but also leaving lifelong scars, both physical and emotional. Riding a taxi should never have to be linked to the possibility of suffering a major injury, but accidents may happen, so it helps to be prepared.