Distracted Driver

Alcohol was not a factor in a late night Tennessee traffic accident in Bartlett Tennessee during which a 1999 Malibu crossed over into the oncoming lane, struck another vehicle that hit a guardrail killing a 12-year-old passenger. As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I see this as just another in what has become an epidemic of roadway departure crashes on Tennessee highways.

The Malibu driver and his infant child were injured but were injured but not critically. The driver of the other car and an 8-year-old passenger were not injured. What makes a driver swerve into oncoming traffic?

There are several possible causes, the first being drowsy driving. Sleepiness and driving is a dangerous combination. Most people are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving but don’t realize that drowsy driving can be just as fatal. Like alcohol, sleepiness slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases your risk of crashing.

Another possibility is that the driver was distracted to the point that he took his eyes off of the road. 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.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney we know 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.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a distracted or drowsy driver, take advantage of a free consultation with the experienced Nashville car crash lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates to learn about your rights and remedies.