Georgia Injury Law Blog
A driver alleged to have been driving in the wrong direction has been critically injured in an auto accident northeast of Atlanta. The car accident occurred on Interstate-85 when a motorist driving a Ford Explorer began driving south in the northbound lanes of interstate-85.At some point, the female motorist struck a tractor-trailer, and then hit another commercial truck and a van.The impact caused the motorist to be ejected from the Ford Explorer, and she sustained critical injuries.No other people were injured in this accident.Police believe that alcohol was a factor here, and that the woman was driving under the influence. As all personal injury attorneys know, if a car accident involves a serious personal injury, alcohol is very likely involved.
According to azcentral.com, in the year 2009, 1,772 people died in accidents involving the wrong way driver.In all these accidents, a driver drove on the wrong side of the road, or towards oncoming traffic.2009 had the highest number of wrong way driving deaths in five years.
The national focus on wrong way driving and its lethal impact spiked after a New York accident blamed on a wrong way driver killed eight people.In July 2009, a Long Island resident was driving her SUV in the opposite direction, when her vehicle crashed into an oncoming car.The woman and four children in her car died in the accident.The three occupants of the car also died.It was later found that the woman had been driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.She had a large number of drinks and had used marijuana before she began driving that day.
In fact, this is a common pattern that Atlanta car accident lawyers find in accidents related to wrong way driving.Most of the time, these drivers are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and miss signs or make wrong entrances.Other times, wrong way driving is the result of a medical condition when a person feels confused or disoriented at the wheel, and makes an error.A driver who is traveling in a new neighborhood or is new to the city may also be likely to make mistakes, although adequate signage can help reduce the occurrence of errors.Additionally, serious driving errors can also be made if state and local transportation safety agencies have not maintained adequate signage, leading to confusion and mistakes.According to some studies, most drivers quickly realize their error, and turn around to avoid an accident.However, many continue to drive, with serious consequences.
Preventing wrong way driving can be a challenge.Often, these drivers are intoxicated, and fail to notice signs that they’re driving in the wrong direction.Many state transportation agencies have been experimenting with new signs like “Wrong Way” and “Do Not Enter” to alert motorists.The signs however do not work if the motorist is too drunk to read or comprehend them.
The Atlanta car accident attorneys at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers represent persons injured in automobile and car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia.