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Vehicle accidents—whether minor fender benders or fatal collisions—are a harsh reality on the roads of Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley, and Allentown. Every year, countless individuals and families suffer due to misinformation and dangerous misconceptions about road safety, vehicle safety, and legal accountability. As experienced lawyers handling a wide range of accident cases, including Philadelphia car accidents, Lehigh Valley car accidents, Allentown truck accidents, and Allentown motorcycle accidents, we believe it is crucial to raise awareness and debunk myths that could put your life and the lives of your loved ones at risk.

Misinformation about vehicle accidents spreads quickly—whether through word of mouth, social media, or outdated beliefs that many still accept as truth. The consequences of these myths can be dangerous, even fatal. Misleading ideas about road safety, vehicle durability, driver responsibility, and accident aftermath affect personal lives, entire families, and whole communities. Innocent children, pedestrians, and other road users may become unintended victims when drivers make decisions based on falsehoods rather than facts.

In this article, we will break down some of the most common and concerning myths surrounding vehicle accidents, including:

• Where most accidents occur—are urban areas, rural roads, or highways the most dangerous?
• What types of vehicles pose the greatest risks—are sports cars inherently more dangerous? Are big, heavy vehicles actually safer for their drivers and passengers?
• The reality of surviving a collision—what are the chances of a driver in a passenger car surviving a crash with a large truck?
• DUI laws—how much alcohol does it take to be considered a DUI driver in Philadelphia?
• Hit-and-run accidents—is it ever a good idea to flee the scene?
• Organ donation myths—will doctors refuse to save you if you are an organ donor? Can your organs even be used after an accident?
• The stigma of being in an accident—does having an accident automatically make you a bad driver?

These are just a few of the pressing questions we will answer. Many people still believe myths about Philadelphia DUI accidents, Allentown hit-and-run accidents, and Allentown fatal accidents, which can influence their choices in critical moments. Our Philadelphia car accident lawyers and Allentown wrongful death lawyers have seen firsthand how misunderstandings about liability, accountability, and compensation after an accident can impact victims and their families.

Regardless of whether you are a driver, a pedestrian, or simply someone who uses the roads, awareness is key to reducing risks and making informed decisions. Accidents don’t just affect those directly involved—they ripple through families and communities, leaving lasting effects. That is why it is so important to separate fact from fiction when it comes to road safety.

In the sections below, we’ll address and debunk 20 of the most widespread myths about vehicle accidents. From the legal implications to safety concerns, we’ll provide clarity and facts to help you navigate the complex world of accident prevention, accountability, and compensation. Stay with us as we unveil the truth behind these myths—knowledge that could one day save your life or the life of someone you love.

Myth: Highways are where most accidents occur.

Fact: The truth is that the majority of accidents occur on urban roads and rural areas, not highways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), around 70% of all crashes happen in urban areas, while only 30% occur on highways. Additionally, rural roads account for a disproportionate number of fatal crashes due to higher speed limits and delayed emergency response times. In Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley, road fatalities are often more common on local streets than on interstates. Many Allentown vehicle accidents happen at intersections rather than open roads, emphasizing the importance of cautious driving everywhere, not just on highways.

Myth: If I’m a good driver, I won’t get into an accident. Accidents only happen to reckless drivers, not careful ones.

Fact: The reality is that even the safest drivers can be involved in accidents. Studies show that the average driver in the U.S. will experience three to four car accidents in their lifetime. While reckless behaviors like drunk driving, distracted driving, drug use, and speeding contribute to many crashes, defensive drivers are also at risk due to external factors like weather conditions, mechanical failures, or the mistakes of other drivers. According to the NHTSA, around 90% of all crashes are caused by human error, and not all errors come from reckless behavior. Even careful drivers should be prepared—having a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, and knowing basic first aid can make a difference between life and death in an emergency situation.

Myth: Seatbelts can trap you in a crash, making it safer to go without one. Holding a child in your lap provides the same level of safety as a car seat.

Fact: Seatbelts save lives. In 2021 alone, the CODES (Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System) estimated that 14,955 lives were saved by seat belts in the U.S. Studies show that passengers not wearing a seatbelt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash, and three out of four people ejected from a vehicle die from their injuries. As for children, holding a child in your lap is extremely dangerous. A crash at just 30 mph can generate forces so strong that even an adult cannot physically hold onto a child. Properly installed car seats reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers. If you’re involved in a Philadelphia car accident or an Allentown vehicle accident, not using seat belts or child car seats can not only increase injuries but also lead to legal consequences.

Myth: Newer cars don’t need as much attention to maintenance because they’re safer. New cars don’t have mechanical failures, so there’s no need to worry about maintenance.

Fact: While newer cars come with advanced safety features, they still require regular maintenance. Systems like automatic braking, lane assist, and stability control can fail, leading to accidents. Crash tests show that even the most advanced cars cannot prevent all crashes. Mechanical failures, including brake malfunctions and tire blowouts, still cause thousands of accidents each year. If a safety system fails and leads to an accident, the driver may have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit against the manufacturer. Our Allentown personal injury lawyer can assist those who have been harmed due to vehicle malfunctions in  Allentown truck accidents or Philadelphia road fatalities. Regular maintenance remains crucial to ensuring safety, no matter how new or advanced the car is.

Myth: Big vehicles like SUVs and trucks are always safer in an accident, while sports cars are the most dangerous vehicles on the road.

Fact: While SUVs and trucks offer greater protection to their occupants in some crashes, they can also cause more severe injuries to others involved. Due to their larger size and weight, SUVs and trucks have higher centers of gravity, making them more prone to rollovers, which are among the deadliest types of accidents. On the other hand, sports cars are often seen as dangerous due to their speed, but many modern sports cars come equipped with advanced safety features and lower centers of gravity, making them more stable. In a Philadelphia truck accident, a smaller passenger car is at a higher risk of severe damage, but driver behavior and road conditions often play a larger role in accident severity than vehicle type alone.

Myth: Large trucks and tractor-trailers can stop just as quickly as regular cars.

Fact: Large trucks and tractor-trailers require much more time and distance to come to a full stop compared to smaller passenger vehicles. According to the Federal Highway Administration, a fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, while an average passenger car weighs around 4,000 pounds. This weight difference means that at 65 mph, a car may need about 316 feet to stop, while a large truck can require more than 525 feet—nearly the length of two football fields. The inability of trucks to stop quickly often leads to Allentown truck accidents as well as the rest of Lehigh Valley including multiple-vehicle accidents, particularly in situations where cars cut in front of trucks or sudden braking is required. The lack of maneuverability in large vehicles also increases the risk of jackknife crashes and underride accidents, which are among the most deadly types of collisions.

Myth: Rollovers only happen in extreme driving situations, while rear-end collisions are always minor.

Fact: While rear-end collisions are the most common type of crash in the U.S., rollovers are among the most deadly. According to the NHTSA’s analyses, rear-end collisions account for about 29% of all crashes, and while many are minor, high-speed rear-end crashes can be fatal. Rollovers, on the other hand, make up only about 2% of crashes but cause nearly 35% of all passenger vehicle fatalities. SUVs, trucks, and vans are more prone to rollovers due to their higher center of gravity. Lehigh Valley fatal accidents involving rollovers often happen on rural roads with high-speed limits and involve single-vehicle crashes where the driver loses control.

Myth: If you’re an organ donor, doctors won’t try as hard to save you after a crash. Also, most accident victims automatically become organ donors.

Fact: This is a dangerous and completely false myth. Medical professionals are legally and ethically required to do everything in their power to save a patient’s life, regardless of their organ donor status. Organ donation is only considered after every possible life-saving measure has been exhausted and death is declared. Additionally, not all accident victims automatically qualify to be organ donors, only about 1% of deaths result in viable organ donation due to the strict medical criteria. Some believe that motorcycle accident victims are commonly organ donors, but the truth is that traumatic injuries can often make organs unusable for transplant. Philadelphia car accident lawyers frequently work with families of accident victims who face medical misinformation, and it’s important to separate myth from fact.

Myth: You have to be over the legal alcohol limit to be charged with a DUI. Drugs that aren’t illegal won’t affect your driving. Driving high on marijuana is safer than driving drunk.

Fact: Even if a driver is under the legal limit of 0.08% BAC, they can still be charged with a DUI if their driving is impaired. According to the NHTSA, about 30% of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. involve drunk driving, leading to over 11,000 deaths annually. Drugged driving is also a growing issue—around 56% of drivers involved in fatal crashes tested positive for at least one drug, including marijuana, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter medications. In Pennsylvania, there were 10,558 DUI-related crashes in a recent year, with 293 fatalities. Despite misconceptions, marijuana can significantly impair reaction time, coordination, and decision-making. Allentown multiple-vehicle accidents often involve drivers impaired by prescription drugs or a combination of substances, making drugged driving just as dangerous as alcohol-related DUIs.

Myth: Texting while driving isn’t as dangerous as driving under the influence. Lack of sleep and fatigue have little effect on reaction time compared to alcohol.

Fact: Studies have shown that texting while driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving. Sending a text takes about five seconds—if you’re traveling at 55 mph, that means driving the length of a football field completely blind. According to the CDC (Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention), distracted driving causes over 3,000 fatalities per year, and Pennsylvania alone reported over 14,000 crashes linked to distracted driving in a single year. Fatigue is another major but often overlooked danger. The National Safety Council found that driving after being awake for 20+ hours is equivalent to driving with a 0.08% BAC, the legal limit for DUI. Lehigh Valley fatal accidents often involve drowsy drivers, and studies show that fatigued driving contributes to more than 100,000 crashes each year, many of which result in fatalities.

Myth: Planes are more dangerous than cars, motorcycles, or trucks.

Fact: Statistically, air travel is significantly safer than road travel. According to the National Safety Council, the lifetime odds of dying in a car accident are approximately 1 in 101, while the odds of dying in a plane crash are around 1 in 11 million. In contrast, Allentown car accidents, Philadelphia truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents claim hundreds of lives each year. Recently, Philadelphia saw an aircraft accident involving a medical jet, but such accidents are extremely rare compared to the thousands of motor vehicle crashes in the region within just the first two months of this year. Road accidents, including Lehigh Valley car crashes and pedestrian accidents, consistently rank among the leading causes of non-natural deaths, while Airplane crashes do not even make the list. Fear of flying is common, but statistically, it is irrational compared to the much greater risks of daily road travel.

Myth: Pedestrians always have the right of way, but if one is struck outside a crosswalk, the driver is never to blame.

Fact: While pedestrians are often given legal protections, they are not always in the right. Pedestrians are required to follow traffic laws just like drivers. If a pedestrian suddenly runs across a highway or steps into traffic where vehicles legally have the right of way, they may be found partially or fully at fault for an accident. In the U.S., over 7,500 pedestrians died in traffic crashes in a recent year, with many fatalities occurring outside crosswalks. However, drivers must also remain cautious and yield when required by law. Our Philadelphia wrongful death lawyers often handle cases where liability is shared between pedestrians and drivers in Allentown car collisions and Philadelphia personal injury accidents.

Myth: Women are the worst drivers and cause more accidents.

Fact: Statistically, men are responsible for more fatal accidents than women. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), male drivers account for nearly 71% of all fatal crashes. Men also tend to engage in riskier driving behaviors, such as speeding and reckless driving. However, men also drive more miles on average and hold more commercial and professional driving licenses. Women are involved in more minor accidents, but men are more likely to be involved in deadly crashes, especially in cases of Philadelphia DUI accidents or Lehigh Valley fatal accidents.

Myth: There could be only one party responsible/liable for a multiple-vehicle accident.

Fact: Many multi-vehicle crashes involve shared liability. For example, in an Allentown multiple-vehicle accident, one driver might have been speeding, but another may have been following too closely or failed to yield. Even in single-vehicle accidents, liability may be shared—for example, a faulty vehicle part could make the manufacturer partially responsible. Our Philadelphia accident lawyers often handle cases involving multiple liable parties, ensuring that victims receive proper compensation.

Myth: You can’t seek any compensation if you are partially liable for the collision.

Fact: Compensation eligibility depends on state negligence laws. Pennsylvania follows a modified comparative negligence rule, meaning that if you are more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover damages. However, if you are 49% or less at fault, you can still seek compensation, though your award will be reduced based on your level of fault. For example, in an Allentown car collision, if a driver was speeding but was hit by a drunk driver, they may still recover damages, but their compensation could be reduced. Our Philadelphia personal injury accident attorneys help victims navigate these complex liability issues.

Myth: If you’re driving a larger, heavier vehicle—like a truck involved in a crash with a passenger car—you can’t file for compensation.

Fact: While large trucks are more likely to cause severe damage in an accident, truck drivers are not automatically at fault. According to the FMCSA, passenger vehicle drivers are responsible for over 75% of truck-related crashes. Even in cases where a truck driver was partially at fault, they may still be eligible for compensation under Pennsylvania’s comparative negligence laws. Lehigh Valley truck accident lawyers frequently represent truck drivers who have been unfairly blamed for accidents.

Myth: Electric and hybrid cars are more prone to catching fire and causing fatal injuries.

Fact: Studies show that electric vehicles (EVs) are actually less likely to catch fire than gasoline-powered cars. According to the National Fire Protection Association, EVs account for fewer than 5% of vehicle fires in the U.S., while gasoline vehicles are involved in over 80% of fires. Fires in EV crashes often stem from battery failures, but the overall risk remains lower than that of traditional gasoline-powered cars.

Myth: Truck and tractor-trailer drivers have the same traffic laws to follow as passenger car drivers.

Fact: Commercial truck drivers are subject to stricter laws and regulations than passenger vehicle drivers. In addition to state traffic laws, truck drivers must comply with OSHA and FMCSA regulations, including hours-of-service limits, weight restrictions, and regular inspections. In some cases, the trucking company may also be held liable for Philadelphia wrongful death cases if they failed to maintain vehicles properly or forced drivers to exceed legal driving hours.

Myth: Wearing a helmet prevents motorcyclists from dying prematurely in crashes.

Fact: While helmets greatly reduce the risk of head injuries, they do not guarantee survival. According to the NHTSA, helmets reduce the risk of death by 37% and the risk of head injury by 69%. However, motorcycle accidents often result in fatal injuries to other parts of the body, such as the spine, chest, and internal organs. Helmets are crucial, but they do not make motorcyclists invincible—defensive driving and protective gear are equally important in Philadelphia personal injury accidents.

Myth: Most drivers who escape from the scene of the accident (Philadelphia hit-and-run accident) remain unidentified.

Fact: With surveillance cameras, dash cams, and eyewitnesses, most hit-and-run drivers are eventually caught. Law enforcement uses traffic cameras, license plate recognition technology, and forensic evidence to identify and track down suspects. Hit-and-run accidents are treated as serious crimes, with penalties including felony charges, heavy fines, and potential prison sentences. Victims of Allentown hit-and-run accidents may also receive higher compensation in civil lawsuits, as fleeing the scene worsens liability. Leaving an injured person at the scene could lead to fatal consequences, such as internal bleeding, brain injuries, or preventable death—making hit-and-run offenses particularly egregious in Philadelphia wrongful death cases.

What To Do After a Pennsylvania Car Accident? Contact our Trustworthy Lawyer!

These facts should be presented to everyone applying for a driver’s license before they get behind the wheel. However, even with knowledge and strict laws in place, accidents still happen. According to Pennsylvania crash statistics, there were 115,938 total crashes in 2022, 115,441 in 2023, and no significant decline in early 2024 reports. This proves that while awareness is crucial, accidents remain a reality.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Lehigh Valley car crash, or an Allentown multiple-vehicle accident, don’t navigate the legal process alone. Studies show that accident victims who hire legal representation secure higher compensation than those who settle or go to court without a lawyer. Our experienced team—including our Philadelphia car accident lawyer, our Allentown wrongful death lawyer, and our Lehigh Valley car accident attorney—will handle your case, investigate the circumstances, and fight for the compensation you deserve.

We understand the financial hardships that follow an accident—medical bills, lost wages, and prolonged recovery. For families dealing with the devastating loss of a loved one in an Allentown wrongful death vehicle accident, funeral costs, loss of income, and emotional suffering add to the burden. Whether the accident was caused by drunk driving, speeding, distracted driving, a hit-and-run, or failure to provide emergency medical attention, we are here to help.

 Call (610) 351-2330 today for a free consultation! You can also contact us online. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case. Time is limited—Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations is typically just two years! Don’t wait—let us guide you through your legal options, even if you were partially at fault.

 

Last Updated on March 11, 2025