Accident Terms and Definitions

Impaired Driving
Can be alcohol or any oher substance that changes judgement while driving. Impaired driving will affect one in three Americans during their lifetimes (NHTSA 2001a).

Collision
Pays for damage to your car caused by physical contact with another vehicle or with another object, such as a tree, boulder, guardrail, structure, or person.

PT - Physical Therapy
the evaluation, assessment, and treatment of dysfunction caused by injuries to the soft tissue and muscles/skeleton . Treatment shall consist of therapeutic exercises, education and other modalities, such as the therapeutic use of heat, light, water, electricity, massage & more.

Disregarding traffic controls
Can be going through a red light or stopping at a green light, diregarding special signals in traffic.

Tire Problems
Under-inflation, the most frequent cause of tire failure, is considered the main culprit in the recent Firestone tire-failure fatalities. Uneven or worn-out tires are the next most serious problem and can also lead to tire failure.

Breakover Angle
when a vehicle crests a hill, it's the angle at which the front tires still remain on the ground as the rear wheels continue to climb (see High Centered)

Using cell phone
Some state have banned types of cell phone use while driving. This can be very dangerous and my be a cause of an accident.

Comparative negligence
Negligence of a plaintiff in a civil suit which decreases his recovery by his percentage of negligence compared to a defendant's negligence.

Reference Point
In angular momentum, the point in space around which the motion of an object is described. The angular momentum of an object is defined in relation to some point, the reference point. The velocity and radius of an object are measured from the reference point.

Failure to yield the right of way
Can be when you proceed forward while disregarding right of way signs or signals for other cars. You may not be the car that is sopossed to go forward.