One person has been injured and a Tennessee Highway Patrol vehicle rear-ended last weekend in Knoxville. The multi-vehicle collision occurred on U.S. 11W on Rutledge Pike near Roseberry Road.
According to a preliminary report, a THP trooper had positioned his patrol vehicle in the lane of a traffic crash involving property damage while investigating the scene. A Ford Expedition traveling north reportedly hit the car involved in the first crash before colliding with the THP SUV.
Charges are pending for the driver of the Ford, who was taken to the hospital for injuries sustained in the crash.
The dangers of distracted driving
When a driver’s attention is taken away from the activity of driving, it is considered to be distracted driving. Examples of distracted driving include:
- reading or writing a text
- adjusting the seat, the headrest or the rearview mirror
- talking on a cell phone or glancing a passenger while talking
- playing music or taking hands off the wheel to use a navigation system
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), every day eight people are killed in accidents that involve distracted driving. The dangers are even greater when a distracted driver is also under the influence of drugs or alcohol. An estimated 400,000 people were in injured in accidents involving driver impairment in 2018, resulting in 2,800 fatalities.
Preventing distracted driving
Tennessee has a hand-held cellphone use ban in place, which prohibits holding or physically supporting a phone when driving. While this sends is strong message about the importance of focusing on the road, there are also other ways of bringing attention to this common problem.
The CDC advocates the importance of not multi-tasking while driving, and of calling attention of distracted behaviors to a driver if you are a passenger. Other preventative measure that some states have put in place include putting in rumble strips that keep an inattentive or drowsy driver from drifting out of his lane. Many motor vehicles now come with crash avoidance systems that alert a distracted driver if a potential collision is detected.
If you or a loved one are suffering from the aftermath of a car accident that was caused by the negligence of another driver, it is important to have experienced legal representation that will help you obtain the maximum compensation for your situation.
