Deadly Crash on I-75 in Scott County What Can We Do to Reduce the Deaths on Kentucky Roadways
On January 29, 2023, 1 person died and another was seriously injured, according to news reports, in an auto accident in Scott County Kentucky near Georgetown. The Scott County Sherriff’s Office is investigating the cause of the accident and very few details are available. The accident blocked the interstate for a significant time period. Over 700 people died on Kentucky roadways in 2022, which is fairly consistent with the results in previous years. I suppose in 2023, we will lose another 700 or more. When I see these numbers, I often wonder if the price we pay for having automobile transportation is worth it. Would we be better off not having automobiles and making our world smaller.
How to Reduce Your Chances of Being Involved in A Serious Accident
I have been a Kentucky auto accident lawyer for over 36 years and I have represented thousands of people involved in auto accidents. I have been involved in at least a half-dozen accidents myself and I imagine most people have been involved in an auto, truck or motorcycle accident some time in their lifetime. With all this experience of being in accidents and seeing others in accidents, I think I have a proper viewpoint for trying to avoid accidents and avoid serious injuries in those accidents. Below I will describe some commonsense things to think about to avoid serious accidents.
1. Drive Less.
Do you have even one day a week where you do not drive your car, truck or motorcycle somewhere? Is it necessary to travel every day. You could save gas and exposure to accidents by driving less. We need to do a better job of planning our travel so we can get what we need to get done in fewer trips. Walk or ride your bike for short trips in the neighborhood. Don’t’ eat out as much. I am amazed at the number of restaurants in our neighborhood and the reducing number of people who make their own meals. Think of ways to drive less and reduce your exposure to accidents.
2. Put Your Cell Phone in the Glove Box.
Many accidents occur due to distracted driving. You can be distracted by many things while driving, such as eating food, smoking, passengers and, of course, your cell phone. Can we discipline ourselves to put our phone in the glove box while we drive? If we did that everyone knows that would save a lot of lives.
3. Don’t Drink, do Drugs and Drive.
This is an obvious one that I think most people would agree with and consider obvious, yet we continue to lose lives due to people who drink, take drugs and drive. Solomon, in the bible, was known as the wisest man who lived, but he lacked the discipline to follow his own wisdom and, as a result, suffered the natural consequences of his behavior. Knowledge and wisdom are worthless, if it is not put into action. We need to have a small amount of discipline not to drive while our ability to focus has been compromised in any way.
4. Don’t Ride Motorcycles.
I am sure that this observation will not be a popular one, but, in our world, riding a motorcycle is an extremely dangerous activity. Let me make few observations that I do not think can be challenged. Motorcycles make up a very small amount of the vehicles on the roadway. I think that 80% of the time I am out driving a car, I do not see a motorcycle. Motorcycles are small and difficult to see. Motorcyclists like to travel at fast speeds, which gives the drivers of automobiles less time to react to them. Finally, motorcyclists, even if wearing a helmet, have little to no protection in the event of an accident. I have never had a motorcycle accident client who had just a whiplash. Motorcycle accidents involve serious injuries and death every time.
5. Don’t Allow Your Teenager to Drive without An Adult until They Are 18.
Every year teenage drivers drive off the roadway and run into trees, other vehicles, lakes and other things that take their lives. Usually, the teenager is traveling too fast on a windy road or is distracted. They need more experience before being ready to safely navigate windy roads and other hazards. I would have a hard time following my own advice here. I know that a parent wants to stop driving their children and the children are aching for freedom from parental control. However, I am convinced that a longer period of supervised driving would lead to less teenage deaths on the roadway.
6. Avoid Late Night Driving.
Night-time is the time when most people drink and drive or do drugs and drive, especially young people. Being on the roadways late at night is always a dangerous time to be on the roadways. It is also when hazards on the roadway are difficult to see and avoid. There are all sorts of accidents with tractors, animals, people riding horses and other hazards that make their way onto the roadways at night. All of theses hazards are impossible to anticipate and difficult to see. It is a good rule of thumb to not travel at night unless necessary and then when you do to expect the unexpected and use your bright lights to give yourself extra reaction time.
CONTACT KENTUCKY AUTO ACCIDENT LAWYER
The circumstances involved in the deadly accident described above, will require the services of an experienced Kentucky auto accident attorney to investigate and locate all available evidence to determine liability and to maximize all insurance benefits available to anyone injured or killed in this auto accident. Matthew Troutman, Kentucky auto accident lawyer, of the Troutman Law Office has been handling auto accident claims, almost exclusively, since 1986 and has the experience and talent to obtain the best result for the victims in the above car accident. It is very likely that the at fault driver will not have enough insurance to fully compensate the victim’s estate and the other injured, and, therefore, it will be important for there to be underinsured motorist benefits available to the victims.
If you need legal assistance due to a motor vehicle accident, contact Kentucky auto accident attorney Matthew Troutman directly at 859-696-0001 or 502-648-9507 and he will meet with you in the hospital, your home or wherever is convenient for you. He will give you direct access through his cell phone and guide you through the difficult process necessary to obtain the best result possible for you in your car accident claim. To learn more about the Troutman Law Office, click here.