One of the most perplexing things about talking to drivers is that most of them think they’re terrific and highly skilled, when the opposite is almost always true.
For instance, one study asked people if they thought their own driving skills were above or below average. It’s impossible for the majority of people to be above average, of course, but that’s exactly what the study found they thought. Around 80% of men, for instance, claimed to be above average drivers.
Not only is this impossible on a statistical level, but accident trends underscore just how wrong people are. In fact, research has shown that the number of crashes caused by human error could be as high as 96%.
These are in direct conflict with one another. A heavy majority believes that their own skills are elite, while the overwhelming majority of accidents happen when these same drivers make mistakes. Where is the disconnect?
Someone else’s problem
The issue could be that we tend to see car accidents as someone else’s problem or someone else’s fault. Rarely do people get in the car and think that they’re going to cause a crash. Even those who do cause an accident may be inclined to quickly blame the other driver. All of the evidence may point to them as the one who caused it, but their preconceived notions about their own skills override that logical thinking. Nothing about this is logical, as we can see, so why resort to logic after a crash?
This is why it’s often hard for the police to sort out the aftermath of a crash. You may clearly be hit by another car, but that driver may still insist — and even believe — that you caused the accident. The police can’t count on their story about the crash, so they have to look for external evidence.
A complex case
If you do get hit by someone who denies that it was their fault, this can make the case a bit complex. Be sure you know what legal options you have to sort it out and seek compensation for your injuries.