[1] 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 worn pavement.
[2] Typical scenarios for rear-ends are a sudden deceleration by the first car (for example, to avoid someone crossing the street) so that the driver behind it does not have time to brake and collides with it.
Alternatively, the following car may accelerate more rapidly than the leading one (for example, leaving an intersection), resulting in a collision.
The rearmost passengers in minivans, benefiting little from the short rear crumple zone, are more likely to be injured or killed.
[4] The Ford Pinto received widespread concern when it was alleged that a design flaw could cause fuel-fed fires in rear-end collisions.