A Nashville Automobile Accident Attorney Speaks on Distracted Driving and Roadway Departure Crashes
Distractions Kill
In my Blog “The Tennessee Auto Accident Attorney” I focus a lot of attention on car accidents in Tennessee and contiguous states. My purpose is to illustrate the kinds of things that cause these accidents so that my readers can be made aware and practice safe driving. One of the main topics of discussion by Tennessee automobile accident attorney’s and other transportation professionals is the growing danger of distracted driving.
A recent article on the web site of WVLT TV in Knoxville reports that a Roane County man was killed in an automobile accident in Morgan County. The Tennessee Highway Patrol report says that Glenn D. Miller was driving along the roadway when his car suddenly veered off the right side of the road. Apparently, in an effort to avoid a wreck, Mr. Miller overcorrected and crossed both lanes of traffic, left the road, hit a pole and ended up in a ditch. My sympathies go out to his family and friends.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness. We will probably never know the cause of the distraction in this situation, but this case illustrates that a distraction can cause an accident even if it takes just one or two seconds.
As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I can tell you that these crashes are referred to as “Roadway Departure Crashes” (RDCs). The Federal Highway Administration defines a RDC as a non-intersection crash that occurs when a vehicle crosses an edge line or a centerline, or otherwise leaves the traveled way.
According to the Federal Highway Administration roadway departure crashes are frequently severe and account for the majority of highway fatalities. In 2008, there were 19,794 fatal roadway departure crashes resulting in 22,080 fatalities, which was 53 percent of the fatal crashes in the United States.
The Nashville automobile accident, personal injury law firm of Phillip Miller & Associates is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.
Phillip Miller is a Tennessee Accident Attorney specializing in
Phillip has an AVVO rating of 10.0 (Superb), has been designated as a “Superlawyer”, and is the President Elect of the Tennessee Association for Justice.
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