The Safety Risks of Driving With Broken Taillights

Traffic accidents are extremely common on America's roadways. Available data shows that close to 6.15 million police-reported collisions involving cars, SUVs, and trucks occur each year in the U.S., and an estimated 39,000 people lose their lives in collisions every year. Those fortunate enough to survive are left with minor to severe injuries.

Common Traffic Accident Injuries

Injuries arising from traffic accidents can take on many forms. However, whiplash, a neck injury caused by the forceful, rapid back-and-forth bending of the neck during a collision, is by far the most common. According to the Mayo Clinic, whiplash injuries are mostly associated with rear-end vehicle crashes. Those who suffer such injuries usually struggle with severe headaches, neck pain, stiffness, and shoulder soreness. Other injuries linked to traffic accidents include the following:

• Broken ribs, arms, legs, wrists, and other fractures as a result of violently colliding with the dashboard, steering wheel, and other parts of a vehicle's interior during a collision
• Concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) as a result of being hit by a deploying airbag or colliding with the steering wheel or windshield in a collision
• Herniated discs, spinal cord damage, and other back and spinal injuries caused by the compression of the spine, soft tissues, nerves, and blood vessels in an accident or collision
• Internal bleeding and organ damage

Why Are Traffic Accidents So Common on America's Roadways?

Traffic accidents happen for a variety of reasons, but driver behavior is the most common culprit. Studies show that distracted or reckless driving, speeding, and impaired driving are among the top contributors. To appreciate how each of these plays a role, it helps to look at them individually.

When drivers are texting, talking on the phone, eating, or adjusting vehicle controls, their focus is no longer on the road. In a split second, any of these distractions can culminate in an accident. The same applies to speeding and reckless driving. Both of these can lead to reduced reaction time, greater crash impact, severe injuries, and even death.

As far as impaired driving, operating a car, truck, SUV, or any motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs significantly slows reflexes and impairs judgment. This combination increases the risk of an accident. While driver behavior is responsible for most accidents, broken or malfunctioning vehicle components are also to blame for quite a few.

What More Drivers Should Know About Driving With Broken Taillights

Like brake, steering, suspension, and tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) problems, broken or malfunctioning taillights can cause an accident. For reference, studies show that roughly 2% of all car accidents are caused by malfunctioning vehicle components. That includes broken or malfunctioning taillights.

How Driving With Broken Taillights Increases the Risk of Being in an Accident

Driving a vehicle with broken taillights carries many safety risks. The taillight assemblies on most cars, trucks, and SUVs house running lights, brake lights, and blinkers, many of which share the same light source or bulb. That means the entire lighting system can stop working when a problem arises.

When taillights stop working, it can reduce vehicle visibility and impede your ability to communicate your intentions to other drivers. With all that in mind, let's take a closer look at how these and other factors can increase the risk of being in an accident, especially a rear-end collision:

• Blinding light - If a vehicle's taillights are working but the red plastic lens covering is damaged, the bare light bulb inside the taillight housing will shine a bright white light that can blind trailing drivers. It can also confuse them since that same bright, white light normally illuminates when a vehicle shifts into reverse.
• Inability to signal turns - When the indicator light in a vehicle's taillight housing is broken or inoperative, it can make it difficult for trailing drivers to know when that vehicle intends to turn or change lanes.
• Loss of brake warning - When the brake bulb in a taillight housing is broken or malfunctioning, it makes it difficult for trailing drivers to judge if a vehicle ahead of them is slowing down or has come to a complete stop.
• Reduced visibility - When a vehicle's running lights, brake lights, or side reflectors are not working, it can make it difficult for trailing drivers to see that vehicle until they are right up under it. That is especially true when driving at night, in the rain, or in dense fog.

Legal and Insurance Consequences

Drivers who knowingly operate a vehicle with broken or malfunctioning taillights can be issued traffic citations and be held liable if they are involved in a rear-end collision. Both of these can lead to higher insurance premiums, loss of driving privileges, or being deemed uninsurable. In some states, broken or malfunctioning taillights can also prevent drivers from renewing their vehicle registration. In states that require vehicle inspections for vehicle registration renewals, damaged or inoperative taillights will result in a failed mandatory state safety check, keeping the vehicle off the road until it is fixed and reinspected. An experienced attorney like the lawyers at DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC can tell you if you have a potential legal claim.

What Causes Taillights To Stop Working?

Many things can damage taillights and cause them to become inoperative. The most common cause is damage to the taillight housing, which can happen in a traffic accident or if the housing is intentionally struck. Other causes include a faulty dimmer switch on the vehicle's dashboard or steering column, frayed wiring, or burned-out light bulbs. Blown fuses or corroded sockets can also cause taillights to stop working.

All in all, driving a vehicle with nonworking taillights can have numerous consequences, from expensive traffic citations and being involved in an accident to higher insurance premiums and a whole lot more. Bearing that in mind, it is best to have broken taillights fixed as soon as possible.

Lori Naranjo covers topics of New Technology in the digital age.