Elderly Drivers

I’m sure the family and friends of an 88-year-old St. Joseph, Tennessee man who was killed in an automobile tractor-trailer accident this past Thursday, are saddened beyond words, and along with investigating officers are wondering why the collision occurred. My prayers go out to his family and friends, I hope they find peace.

The question on everyone’s mind is why did he pull out directly in the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer. Was his view of the road blocked? Was he distracted by something, the radio, cell phone, or was he just not paying attention to what he was doing? Did he have a medical emergency or a medication emergency that rendered him incapable of controlling his vehicle? The investigators have their work cut out for them.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney, I have watched with interest as the accident rate among older drivers has continued to drop. Since 1997 the trend has been on a downward slide. I asked myself, “…why is this happening?” One would think that older drivers would have more problems as they aged.  With that in mind I wondered out loud to several of my colleagues, “What is going to happen to this trend in the next six to ten years when the older population, the “Boomers”, grows?”

My search took me to The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses — deaths, injuries, and property damage — from crashes on the nation’s highways. In a recent study the Institute answered my question. Instead of interpreting the study for you I have reprinted the introduction below.

The US population is expected to experience a major shift such that older people will become a much larger proportion of the population. According to the US Census Bureau, people 70 and older were 8.5 percent of the population in 1990, compared with 9.1 percent in 2008. The increase in the older population is expected to accelerate sharply starting in 2016. The population 70 and older is expected to rise from 27 million in 2008 to 67 million in 2050, representing a 145 percent increase. The population 85 and older is expected to more than triple, from 6.4 million in 2008 to 19 million in 2050. By 2050, people 70 and older are expected to compose 15.3 percent of the population.

If you or a loved one are injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by an older driver, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Beware The Blind Spot

Yesterday, I blogged about a woman who tried to cross an Interstate median and was killed when she was hit head-on by a fast moving tractor-trailer. The theme of the article was that there are things you should and should not do when traveling on an Interstate highway.

A recent article on the website of the Herald-Citizen tells of a tragic automobile tractor-trailer accident on I-40 near Monterrey that brings the focus on another driving error that we must avoid. An inevitable fact of life is that we have to share the highways of this wonderful country with commercial vehicles of all sizes. We have to understand the dynamics of these 80,000 lb giants and act accordingly.

According to the article an 18-year old woman, Lindsey Toft, was fatally injured and three other teens were injured in the collision. It appears that the SUV they were riding in was being driven by Matthew Harris, 18, and was driving in the right lane in a blind spot of the tractor-trailer that was passing on the left. The Tractor-trailer gave a right turn signal and attempted to enter the right lane, Harris blew his horn and swerved to avoid being hit, lost control, hit the guard rail and then went back onto the roadway where his vehicle was hit by another tractor-trailer. Ms. Toft was not wearing her seatbelt and was ejected fro the SUV.

The Tennessee Rules of the Road specifically warn us not to drive in the blind spot of other drivers, especially tractor-trailers. Traveling in a position where the driver ahead of you cannot see your vehicle can be dangerous as evidenced by this accident. Either stay behind or go around. If the vehicle begins to enter your lane immediately slow down and yield the right of way. Do NOT follow to the side and do not expect the other driver to hear your horn.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Tennessee car/tractor-trailer accident contact the experienced Tennessee accident and injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.