If you’re driving your vehicle, you are already multitasking. At a minimum you are: operating a piece of heavy machinery at high speed; navigating across changing terrain; calculating speeds and distances; and responding to all the other drivers and obstacles around you. Putting one more activity in the mix, even talking to your passengers or changing a radio station, can be enough to make you lose control of your vehicle or fail to respond in an emergency.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 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.

A  fatal accident in West Tennessee on I-40 this week caught my attention. There are only two possible things that could have caused this accident. It was intentional or the driver that caused the accident was distracted. According to an article on the website of the Jackson Sun a Huntingdon man, Rex Robinson, 47, was killed when he lost control of his vehicle after being hit from behind by a Dodge van driven by Gilbert Soo Hong, 53, of Irving, Texas. My prayers go out to the family and friends of Mr. Robinson.

Let’s picture this, you’re driving along a busy Interstate highway and you run into the back end of the vehicle traveling in front of you. I don’t know Mr. Hong and I can’t imagine a reason why he would intentionally ram Mr. Robinson’s car, so I have to conclude that Mr. Hong was doing something other than pay attention to the task of driving. No matter where we are, on the Interstate or driving in a parking lot, we must remember that we are piloting a deadly weapon and if you allow yourself to be distracted you could very well take the life of another.

Distracted Drivers Kill

If you or a loved one is injured in an Tennessee automobile accident caused by a distracted driver you owe it to yourself to have a free consultation with an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney. Contact Phillip Miller & Associates by telephone at 615-356-2000 or check out our website at www.seriousinjury.com.

Crash Claims Life Of 85-Year Old Woman

Knoxville TV station WBIR reported on a fatal accident involving an 85-year old woman driving a pickup truck and a tractor-trailer in Scott County Tennessee. The article on the website for WBIR says that Edith Mae Marcum, 85, of Oneida was attempting a left turn from Highway 67 onto Highway 63, when  she pulled into the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer driven by William P. Renfo of Louisville. She was pronounced dean at the scene.

My heart and prayers go out to the family and friends of Ms. Marcum and we are thankful that Mr. Renfro was not seriously injured. The Center For Disease Control and Prevention has gathered some interesting facts about older drivers that I would like to share with you.

Older Adult Drivers: Fact Sheet

There are 30 million licensed drivers ages 65 and older in the United States. When injured in motor vehicle crashes, older drivers are more likely to die than younger drivers, underscoring the importance of older driver safety.

How big is the problem?

* More than 175,200 adults ages 65 and older were injured as occupants in motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2006.

* There were 30 million licensed older drivers in 2006, a 18–percent increase from 1996. In contrast, the total number of licensed drivers increased by only 13 percent during the same time period.

* Drivers ages 80 and older have higher crash death rates per mile driven than all but teen drivers.

What are the risk factors, and who is at highest risk?

* Age–related decreases in vision, cognitive functions, and physical impairments may affect some older adults’ driving ability.

* Across all age groups, rates for motor vehicle-related fatalities are higher for men than for women.

* Older drivers are more likely than younger drivers to die from injuries they sustain in a motor vehicle crash.

Are there protective factors?

There are protective factors that may help improve older adults’ safety while driving:

* More than three-quarters (76%) of all older motor vehicle occupants (drivers and passengers) involved in fatal crashes were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, compared to 62 percent for other adult occupants under age 65.

* Older adult drivers tend to drive when conditions are safest. They limit their driving during bad weather and at night and drive fewer miles than younger drivers.

* Older adult drivers are less likely to drink and drive than other adult drivers.

If you or a loved one is involved in a Nashville automobile accident involving an elderly driver contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation and find out about your rights and remedies.