Sometimes, a driver that hits another person or vehicle struggles to understand how it happened. They were not drunk, and they weren’t on their phone. They had both hands on the wheel and were looking straight ahead. Yet somehow, they missed seeing the other person.
Often the other person is a pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist, but it can also be another driver.
It’s probably down to inattentional blindness
Just because someone’s eyes are open and they are looking straight ahead does not mean they are seeing everything ahead of them. It’s almost impossible for the brain to notice everything that is happening because sometimes there is so much going on. Hence the brain is selective.
It focuses on what it thinks is important, filtering out the rest. Surely someone crossing on foot in front of a vehicle or another vehicle pulling out across your path is important? They are, but the brain may be so focused on something else it considers important that it omits to give them attention.
This makes vulnerable road users even more vulnerable
Anyone on two wheels or on foot is already more vulnerable than someone ensconced inside a car or truck. To make it worse, many drivers are less likely to notice them because they are more used to looking out for cars. They drive a car, so their brain assumes that everyone else does and prioritizes looking for cars or anything bigger than a car, potentially missing the smaller road users.
Learning more about crash factors can help you get the compensation you will need if a driver injures you.