Editing Rear-end collision (section)

{{Short description|Traffic-collision type}}
[[File:Jeep Liberty Rear Impact Test.png|thumb|[[Jeep Liberty]] undergoing rear-end crash testing at Chrysler's Proving Grounds]]
[[Image:car.accident.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|right|250px| A rear-end collision in [[Yate]], near [[Bristol]], [[England]], in July 2004. The car failed to stop when the [[semi-trailer truck|semi truck]] stopped at a [[roundabout]]. The car's [[hood (vehicle)|bonnet]] can be seen deep under the rear of the lorry.]]
[[File:Car accident - NSE Malaysia.jpg|thumb|right|250px| A severe rear-end collision that resulted in a burning wreckage along the North–South Expressway in Malaysia. All occupants escaped.]]
[[File:Multiple cars rear-end collision on highway.webm|thumb|right|250px|Video of rear-end collision between multiple cars on highway.]]

A '''rear-end collision''', often called '''rear-ending''' or, in the UK, a '''shunt''', occurs when a forward-moving [[vehicle]] crashes into the back of another vehicle (often stationary) in front of it. Similarly, rear-end [[classification of railway accidents|rail collisions]] occur when a [[train]] runs into the end of a preceding train on the same [[railway track|track]].<ref name="MyUser_Dictionary.com_November_22_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://www.dictionary.com/browse/rear-end |title=Rear-end |newspaper=Dictionary.com |access-date= November 22, 2016}}</ref> Common factors contributing to rear-end collisions include driver inattention or distraction, [[tailgating]], panic stops, [[brake checking]] and reduced traction due to wet weather or [[road surface#Surface deterioration|worn pavement]].

According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), rear-end collisions account for 7.5% of fatal automobile collisions. However, they account for 29% of all [[automobile accident]]s, making them one of the most frequent types of automobile accidents in the [[United States]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |first1= |date=2021 |title=Traffic Safety Facts 2021 |url=https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813527 |access-date=24 July 2024 |website=NHTSA CrashStats |page=67}}</ref>

According to NHTSA in 2020, out of 419,400 people involved in rear-end crashes, less than 1% were killed and over 99% were injured.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Determining Fault After a Rear-End Car Accident |url=https://vaughanandvaughan.com/faqs/who-is-at-fault-for-a-rear-end-car-accident/ |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=Vaughan & Vaughan |language=en}}</ref>