The National Transportation Safety Board says an average of 360 people nationwide lose their lives in collisions that are caused by wrong-way drivers every year. Head-on collisions are likely the most feared type of car accidents in Ohio because they are so likely to cause death or catastrophic injuries. Keeping certain precautions in mind might help someone who encounters a wrong-way driver.
By always scanning the highway as far as possible ahead, a wrong-way driver might be spotted while there is enough time to get out of its way. NTSB says weekends and the hours between midnight and 3 a.m. are when most these accidents occur. If such a driver is spotted in time, others can move over if possible. At the same time, they can try to alert the wrong-way driver by flashing their lights and honking their horns.
Because head-on collisions are so deadly, drivers who cannot get clear might improve their chances of survival by turning their cars sideways to avoid the head-on impact. It will likely still result in severe injuries, but lives might be saved. Alerting emergency services as soon as possible is another crucial step.
Ohio families who have to deal with the consequences of wrong-way car accidents might need financial relief to help them cope with medical or end-of-life expenses. Economic and non-economic damages might be recoverable by filing personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits in civil court. It might seem daunting to bring suit against an at-fault driver, but an experienced personal injury attorney can assist throughout ensuing legal proceedings.
Source: blog.tapconet.com, “5 Tips on How to Avoid Wrong-Way Drivers”, Steve Paulus, Accessed on May 12, 2018