Author: Anthony Proffitt

As a Tennesse motorist, driving with vigilance and strict attention to the road may help reduce the risk of injuries resulting from a car accident. However, when accidents happen, Tennesse law uses comparative fault to determine which driver is most responsible for the wreck, and if you practice distracted driving, a judge may hold you responsible.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving habits, such as cell phone usage behind the wheel, caused the deaths of more than 3,000 people on U.S. roadways in 2019. You can avoid becoming a sad statistic and keep yourself and your passengers safe by changing your distracted driving habits.

Distracted driving actions

While texting and failing to use hands-free devices during phone calls are typically the most well-known distracted driving actions, there are others that may cause you to take your eyes off the road as well. Most involve you taking one hand off the wheel as well, increasing inattention to your surroundings, such as:

• Adjusting your car stereo
• Opening food or drinks
• Chatting or arguing with passengers
• Scolding children or pet passengers

Any of these actions could cause an accident if they cause you to drift into another lane, swerve or if you fail to notice traffic stopped in front of you.

Changing habits

While changing your driving habits may seem daunting, there are a few ways you can avoid distractions while behind the wheel. For example, set your phone to a hands-free option and pre-set your stereo before you put the car in drive. Secure children in car seats before you leave and use crates or other vehicle pet restraints when your pet is in the car. Keep the car interior volume low and remind your passengers that driving is a responsibility that you cannot take lightly.

Providing a good example by improving your driving habits may encourage your teen drivers to do the same. While some accidents are unavoidable, avoiding distracted driving can reduce the odds of injury and costly property damage.

A car accident can change a person’s life forever. Even simple accidents with minimal property damage can sometimes leave victims experiencing PTSD and chronic pain.

Families of car accident victims may feel the strain of financially caring for their loved ones. Even worse, in serious situations, families may face the shocking and devastating death of their family members.

9 victims in Easter wreck

A severe car accident on Easter Sunday resulted in one fatality. According to authorities, two vehicles collided in Franklin on Sunday afternoon. In addition to the deceased, eight people suffered injuries and received medical treatment at three local hospitals. Authorities have not released the cause of the collision.

Information on the conditions of the surviving victims was not immediately available. Local authorities who initially responded to the accident released a statement expressing their condolences and support for the families affected by the tragedy.

Overcoming trauma

Even for victims who suffer non-fatal injuries in a car accident, the emotional impact of a traumatic situation can have debilitating outcomes. Some people may feel guilt that they survived the accident while other victims did not. They may also feel paralyzing fear about getting in a vehicle again and lack the confidence to drive altogether.

Therapy can help people address their concerns and navigate complex conditions including PTSD, depression and anxiety. Working through their feelings can help them discover methods to manage their emotions and process their circumstances. With adequate support, people can continue to recover and may slowly regain their confidence.

Source: The Associated Press, “Police: 1 dead, 8 hurt in two-vehicle accident in Tennessee,” Apr. 4, 2021

If another vehicle collides with yours, you may wonder what the other driver’s duties are following the accident. For example, a driver who hits you in a vehicular collision must not leave the scene. Departing after an auto accident may not only cause you greater harm if you have suffered injury, but the other driver may incur criminal charges.

A recent case in Knoxville illustrates the kind of trouble a motorist can get into for not stopping at an accident scene involving serious injury to other parties.

Charges in a recent accident

Knoxville’s WVLT reported on an auto accident that occurred on a Sunday on I-640. According to Knoxville police, a man driving while under the influence impacted a vehicle and caused critical injury to a woman and minor injuries to a five year old. The driver departed the scene soon after. Later, the police placed the driver under arrest not only on suspicion for driving while under the influence, but for leaving the scene of an accident.

Requirements under law

Tennessee law is clear that any driver who has involvement in an accident must stop at the accident scene or as close to the scene as possible and remain there. This stipulation also applies to places like shopping centers, apartment complexes or trailer parks, anywhere where the public is likely to frequent.

The driver must fulfill a number of duties before departing the accident. The other driver must tell you his or her name, address and vehicle registration number. If you have suffered injury from the accident, the other driver must give you reasonable assistance, including arranging for first responders to show up if you cannot contact them. These measures may stop an injury from becoming more serious or even save your life.

Motor vehicle accidents happen every day on the roads of Tennessee. Each accident provides important details on situations that face drivers in terms of weather and traffic conditions, as well as other factors that lead to crashes.

Accidents ranging from the fairly common to the highly unusual illustrate some of the challenges to public safety.

Driver crashes into police cruiser

WRCB TV reports that a driver collided with a Chattanooga police car with its lights and sirens activated. The police officer was on his way to help another officer following a hit-and-run vehicle accident. The officer avoided any significant injuries, while the other driver sustained minor injuries that required a hospital visit.

The accident occurred around 9:40 p.m. on N. Moore Road in Chattanooga. The separate accident resulted in the apprehension of a person fleeing the scene of the accident. The news report did not elaborate on the charges in either incident.

Single vehicle accident results in death

News Channel 5 reported that a 52-year-old-man hit a tree after leaving the roadway on Old Hickory Road in Madison. The man, driving an SUV, crossed into the path of oncoming traffic and left the roadway and then struck the tree.

Medical personnel transported the man to Skyline Medical Center, where he later died. Metro Nashville Police could give no reason why the man left the roadway and crossed the centerline. The news report did not mention any other known complicating information on the incident. Authorities ordered toxicology testing to gain insight into the reasons for the crash and to determine possible charges.

While most people do not plan to run out of gas on a highway, it does happen from time to time. If this happens, it is important for drivers to take certain actions to avoid involvement in an accident.

Unfortunately, a man failed to take these precautions when he ran out of gas earlier this week, resulting in a fatality.

Being in the wrong place on the highway leads to one man’s death

According to WJHL.com, a man left his vehicle protruding into a traffic lane when he pulled over due to an empty gas tank. While he was standing next to his truck another vehicle struck and killed him. While the passenger of the other vehicle is physically unharmed, the emotional toll of the accident may cause problems for years to come.

It is unclear if the cause of the accident was the fault of the driver, the placement of the truck or where the driver was standing at the time.

Taking proper precautions can help people avoid accidents

If a driver’s truck runs out of gas, it is important that he or she park the vehicle completely out of the way of traffic. Any part of the vehicle left protruding into traffic can cause an accident, which could be fatal to any party involved.

Additionally, the driver should turn on the vehicle’s hazard lights to alert other drivers that there is a problem. Packing reflective clothing in the vehicle for such an emergency can also help other drivers take notice of the person wearing it.

If the driver cannot park the car completely off the highway lanes, it is important that he or she stand far enough away from the vehicle to avoid being involved in a collision.

As a responsible driver, you obey traffic laws, adjust your driving for inclement weather, and behave courteously to other motorists. You also avoid drinking and driving because you know how dangerous it is.

Unfortunately, too many other drivers do not take these crucial steps. This leads to serious drunk driving accidents, which cause major injuries or even loss of life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain how even a minimal amount of alcohol can have a huge impact on a person’s ability to operate a motor vehicle.

Two drinks

Two drinks does not seem like it will have much of an impact on a person’s driving. However, many people experience impaired visual ability, lack of judgment, and problems performing more than one action at once after drinking just two alcoholic beverages.

Three drinks

After three drinks, motorists will experience diminished alertness, which prevents them from noticing road hazards. They may have trouble steering effectively due to diminished coordination. Focusing on objects is also impacted at this point.

Four drinks

By four drinks, the legal limit of .08% BAC is usually breached. Concentration and memory are affected, as is the ability to effectively process information. Speeding is more likely, which can lead to serious accidents and injuries.

Five drinks

Thinking is significantly impacted after five drinks. A person will slur their speech and exhibit poor coordination. They will also have trouble braking in time, which increases the risk of rear-end accidents.

If you see a driver exhibiting the above signs of inebriation, the best thing you can do is keep your distance. Take down identifying characteristics of the vehicle, such as make, model, color, and license plate, if it is possible to do so safely. Pull over and contact law enforcement to provide any information you have. Never attempt to stop a driver yourself or put yourself in danger to contact the authorities.

It seems like every area has one road that is terribly dangerous. There are many reasons why a stretch of road sees more accidents than other roads. For example, it could be because drivers are more likely to speed in the area or it could be the design of the road. It is also possible for there to be multiple factors.

When it comes to dangerous roads in Knox County, Byington Beaver Ridge Road ranks near the top. According to WBIR, this state road has been an issue for years and has led to numerous serious and fatal accidents.

The problem

The main issues with the road are both due to its design and drivers’ exceeding the speed limit. The road has a curve in it that is not hazardous when drivers are honoring the posted 35 MPH speed limit, but due to excessive speeding, the curve leads to loss of control issues and accidents. There is also no shoulder on the curve and the edge falls into a steep ditch, which only compounds the risks of the roadway.

The solution

WATE explains the solution from the state is to create a road design that allows for drivers to correct their mistakes without it leading to a fatal accident. The state will add in dirt to build up the area beside the road to create a shoulder area. If a driver runs off the road, he or she will be able to recover from it much easier and avoid a fall into the ditch. The easy fix took place near the end of 2020, so the effects are still to be seen, but it should help to reduce the accidents on this road.