Distracted By A Bee

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.

Some distractions can be unavoidable, such as that with a recent tractor-trailer accident in Johnson City Tennessee. The driver was heading east on US Highway 11A when he was distracted by a bee in the cab of his truck. He attempted to swat the bee, lost control, left the road and rolled over in a ditch.

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.

The lesson here for Nashville drivers is that you must keep all of your attention on the acting of driving and avoid distractions. You never know when another driver is going to fall asleep, have a medical emergency or get distracted and leave their lane and initiate a deadly collision.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee car crash by a distracted driver or a case like the present one that will require and experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyer contact the lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Give Trucks Plenty Of Room

As an experienced Nashville tractor-trailer attorney I often advise my clients and readers that when traveling along an interstate highway give the big trucks plenty of space and whatever happens never run in a pack of trucks. The aerodynamics of the truck car relationship at higher speed is totally different and the car is at a serious disadvantage.

Reference a recent three truck fatal tractor-trailer wreck on I-81 in Virginia just across the Tennessee line. Truck one carrying livestock left the highway into the median and when the driver tried to correct, his rig flipped over. Moments later truck two which was following too closely rammed into the overturned truck, killing that driver. When truck three tried to stop to avoid colliding with truck two his rig flipped over.

Fortunately, there were no cars in close proximity. Had a car driver been running with these trucks the result would not have been good. It can be fatal to make assumptions that other drivers are as competent as you are. It can also be fatal to assume that you are as competent as you think you are.

The lesson here for Nashville drivers is that you must keep all of your attention on the acting of driving and avoid dangerous situations. You never know when another driver is going to fall asleep, have a medical emergency or get distracted and leave their lane and initiate a deadly collision.

If you are the victim of a Nashville or Tennessee tractor-trailer accident we urge you to contact our experienced Tennessee accident attorneys today for a free consultation. When you hire an auto accident attorney from Phillip Miller & Associates, you’re getting a qualified and dedicated lawyer. Details about our attorneys and staff can be found by viewing our website at www.seriousinjury.com where you can get to know the men and women who will be looking out for your best interest.

Avoid Distractions

Why this tragic tractor-trailer/pickup truck accident happened will most probably never be known but the article in the Bowling Green Daily-News reporting from an accident report from the Kentucky State Police, says that Adam Bowen, 30, of Campbellsville, Kentucky was driving on I-65 in the early morning hours when his pickup truck drifted off the left side of the road and as he over corrected, the vehicle crossed the highway and ran off the right side of the road crashed into the embankment and came to a stop in the right lane of traffic where both Mr. Bowen, who was not wearing a seatbelt, and the pickup were hit by a tractor-trailer and two other vehicles. My prayers go out to Mr. Bowen’s family and friends.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney the first question that comes to my mind is what caused Mr. Bowen’s truck to veer to the left shoulder. Was he distracted by something he was doing in the car or was he tired and fell asleep? These are the questions that will probably never be answered.

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.

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. FHWA uses the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to compute statistics on roadway departure crashes.

Another question we will never be able to answer is whether Mr. Bowen would have died if he had been wearing his seatbelt? Because of the fact that his pickup was rammed by a tractor-trailer and two other vehicles, it’s impossible to say one way or another. Seatbelt usage reduces automobile crash-related deaths and injuries by at least 50 percent.

To prevent this kind of accident in your life attention must be paid to a few simple rules. If you are sleepy immediately get off the road and take a nap. Always wear your seat belt, whether you are driving on the interstate highway system, or just taking a short drive to the grocery store and always avoid distractions like cell phone use, texting or anything that requires you to take your eyes off of the road for even a couple of seconds.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville automobile accident caused by a distracted or drowsy driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation and find out about your rights and remedies.

Fatal intersection Crash

The thoughts and prayers of the attorney’s and staff at Philip Miller & Associates go out to the family, friends and world-wide family of The University of the South, for the deaths of 19-year-old Kathryn “Katie” Christianson of Chattanooga and 18-year-old Kathleen Beech of Clarksville who were killed in the Thursday morning car/tractor-trailer crash in Franklin County. Two other students, Arden Jones, of Greenwood, VA, and Anna Summs, Cookeville, TN were injured and are in stable condition. The tractor-trailer driver was treated and released.

This fatal car/tractor-trailer wreck was immediately reported by a number of local media outlets (WHNT, WRCB TV, The Chattanoogan) and information is being updated on an hourly basis. WRCBTV in Chattanooga reported that the students were traveling to crew practice around 6 a.m. when their vehicle crossed US Highway 41A and was struck by the tractor-trailer.

According the Tennessee Highway Patrol; The preliminary investigation indicates that a 2007 Hyundai with four students from the University of the South turned into path of a northbound tractor trailer, killing two front seat occupants and injuring the rear seat passengers.

I have blogged about the dangers of intersections on a number of occasions and although intersections make-up a very small part of our highway and street network , studies show that almost half of our motor vehicle crashes occur there. Driving near and through intersections is truly one of the most complex conditions that drivers will encounter.

If you or a loved one is injured in a tractor-trailer accident contact the experienced accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.