Overcorrection

Whenever a motor vehicle accident occurs in Florida, or anywhere else throughout the country, it creates a series of events that cost money. While these costs are not always apparent to other people, make no mistake, car accidents can be quite expensive.

When viewed as a whole, the numbers are downright shocking. A recent study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration demonstrates that motor vehicle accidents cost more than $870 billion in economic loss per year. This study examined data from 2010. That $870 billion can be broken down even further to a personal basis, averaging an estimated cost of $900 per person in the U.S., which does not just apply to accident victims, but all people residing in this country.

NHTSA’s study, “The Economic and Society Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010,” focuses on some of the behavioral factors that influenced that year’s nearly 33,000 highway fatalities, 3.9 million injuries and 24 million damaged vehicles. According to the study, three driver behaviors including speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving, accounted for 56 percent of the economic loss to the nation and 62 percent of the societal harm. Societal harm is described as harm due to loss of life and decreased quality of life.

What is not so shocking is that drunk driving accidents were found to be among the most expensive kinds of accidents. These accounted for 18 percent of the total economic loss and 23 percent of the overall societal harm.

Speeding accounted for 21 percent of the overall economic loss costing the nation $59 billion and 24 percent, or $210 billion, of the societal harm.

Distracted driving crashes were responsible for 17 percent of the total economic loss and cost $46 billion. These crashes accounted for $129 billion, or 15 percent, of the overall societal harm.

On a positive note, researchers for this study concluded that using seatbelts led to a savings of almost $70 billion in medical care, lost productivity and other costs that were not incurred. For now, around 5 percent of the total economic loss involved people in auto accidents where they were not buckled up or did not properly fasten their seatbelt.

A Weeki Wachee, Florida man, 56, died Tuesday night in Spring Hill after the vehicle he was riding in exited the road and flipped into a canal filled with water. He was taken to Oak Hill Hospital where he died shortly after.

The driver, a 72-year-old Michigan woman died from her injuries after being transported to Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point.

A six-year-old passenger from Weeki Wachee was taken to Spring Hill Regional Hospital suffering from minor injuries.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the accident occurred around 7 p.m. The driver was supposedly traveling northbound when she overcorrected as she navigated onto the east shoulder of the road, crossed into the south lane and landed in the canal. The vehicle supposedly flipped and was submerged in water.

Unfortunately, overcorrection and other driving errors can lead to catastrophic Florida car accidents that can cause deaths or serious injuries. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, overcorrecting contributed to nine deaths and 84 injuries in 2010. Drivers of SUV’s are the most susceptible to overcorrecting which can lead to a rollover accident or head-on collisions, but essentially this driving error can happen to anyone. Most rollover accidents occur when motorists overcorrect their steering as a panic reaction to an emergency, which often results in loss of control of the vehicle. When a driver’s tires drift off the road onto the shoulder or grass, it is many motorists instinctive response to panic and jerk the wheel the opposite way. However, this can cause the vehicle to collide with oncoming traffic, stationary objects or overturn.

Sometimes accidents cannot be avoided, but sometimes knowing proper maneuvering techniques on the road can eliminate driver error, like overcorrecting. If your vehicle drifts off the roadway, it is best to remain calm and refrain from jerking your vehicle back onto the road. Rather, it is optimal to slow your car down gradually and once a safe speed is maintained, then it is secure to guide your vehicle back onto the road.

When you or a loved one has been injured in an accident as a result of another motorist’s mistake, the aftereffects can be irritating and overwhelming. As soon as you have been involved in an accident it is important to contact a Rollover Accident Attorney to start investigating the facts surrounding your claim. At Whittel & Melton, we can help you recover the fair and full compensation you deserve.

Articles Posted in Overcorrection

Florida Auto Accident Injury Attorney :: New NHSTA Study Shows the Staggering Toll of Car Crashes on U.S. Residents

Hernando County Car Accident Attorneys Whittel & Melton :: Over-Correction Causes Two Deaths in Spring Hill Rollover Accident