When most Connecticut drivers think of car accidents, they likely think of collisions between two cars. However, vehicle-into-building crashes are not as uncommon as drivers may think.
Drivers may be surprised to learn how many car accidents involve buildings. According to Storefrontcrashexpert.com, there were over 300 vehicle-into-building collisions over a two month span in 2013. Most of these accidents occurred because a driver used the wrong pedal or lost control of the car. It is estimated that about five incidents of cars hitting buildings are reported every day. Many of the buildings affected tend to be grocery stores, banks and gas stations.
Despite the fact that these accidents are not uncommon, there are few statistics documenting them. Risk Management says collisions like this can be hard to track because many take place on private property. While any driver may accidentally tap the wrong pedal, two demographics are most likely to run a car into a building. Young drivers can often be distracted by the increasing amount of technology in a car. This distraction, combined with lack of experience, can cause young people to make errors behind the wheel. Drivers who are 70 and older are also more likely to collide with a building; many of these incidents are the result of putting a car into the wrong gear or pressing the wrong pedal.
There are steps which can be taken to ensure fewer cars crash into buildings. One of them is to install a barrier between store entrances and parking lots so cars have something to stop them. Parking lots might also be redesigned to keep cars from facing entrances.
