Accidents happen even when everyone follows the rules of the road. When drivers fail to do so, however, chaos and tragedy can ensue. Wrong-way crashes account for just a small percentage of vehicle accidents, but when they do occur, the chance of injury is much higher and the extent of injuries is much more extreme. Wrong-way accidents are usually more serious because the vehicles often do not have enough braking or reaction time to avoid a head-on collision. More often than not, death or at least catastrophic injury result from these types of accidents because of the significant impact.

According to a report of one recent wrong-way accident, five people were killed, and several others injured. The accident then caused other chain reaction accidents. A Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson noted that they are working on educating the public to be careful, to not drink and drive, and to pay attention in an effort to prevent these types of accidents.

What Factors Play The Biggest Role In A Wrong-Way Crash?

Wrong-way accidents can occur as a result of many situations, such as a driver making a U-turn on a highway. However, age and impairment due to alcohol and/or drugs seem to be the biggest factors in these types of accidents. According to a National Transportation Safety Board report, one issue associated with wrong-way drivers is impairment due to medical conditions. Although age itself is not a determinate of driving performance, aging is associated with both an increase in medical issues and the use of prescription medications to treat those conditions. The report notes that the majority of wrong-way drivers were between the ages of 20 and 50 and that there were fewer wrong-way than right-way drivers in every 10-year age category below age 70. In the age categories above 70, however, the opposite was true, and the number of wrong-way drivers greatly exceeded the number of right-way drivers; there were almost two and a half times more wrong-way drivers for ages 70–79, and almost 30 times more for ages above 80. The National Transportation Safety Board also notes that a substantial proportion of wrong-way drivers are impaired by alcohol. Data presented in this report shows that nine percent of wrong-way drivers had been convicted of driving while intoxicated or impaired (DWI) within the three years prior to the wrong-way collision, compared to about one-third as many for a matched control group of right-way drivers. Interestingly, with respect to alcohol involvement, data indicated that younger wrong-way drivers were much more likely to be alcohol-impaired than older wrong-way drivers.

Get Moving In The Right Direction

If you have been involved in an auto accident, getting in touch with a legal professional is the right way to go. An attorney who has experience with accident cases will assess your case and advise you of the best way to proceed. You need to feel confident that you are receiving the best legal advice possible and secure in your choice of an attorney. Contact a Miami Car Accident Attorney today to determine the best way to move forward with your case.