Wrong-Way Driving Accidents

Were You Seriously Injured By A Reckless Driver?

Our roads are slowly becoming safer due to decades of legislative efforts and increased police crackdowns on some of the most dangerous behaviors like distracted driving, the use – or lack thereof – of seatbelts, and driving under the influence. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that fatal car crashes are down around 25 percent over the past decade. However, wrong-way driving crashes are an outlier – there has been no significant change in the number of deaths caused over that same time period. Official reports state that an estimated 360 people die every year in these types of crashes, and that number shows no signs of changing.

Call our firm at (713) 621-7944 to discuss your situation with one of our lawyers today.

If you were seriously injured by a reckless or negligent driver’s actions, you have the right to fight for fair compensation in court. Our car accident lawyers at Fleming, Nolen & Jez have worked with injured victims for the past 35 plus years, and over that time we have successfully recovered verdict awards and monetary compensation for our clients. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you.

What Can Cause A Wrong-Way Driving Accident?

In order to start working on potential changes to mitigate the risk of wrong-way driving accidents in the future, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) looked into the 1,566 fatal wrong-way crashes that occurred from 2004 to 2009. They released their findings in a Highway Special Investigation Report (PDF) in December of 2012, which noted poor signage and confusing roadway design as two major contributing factors. Others included:

• Driving Drunk or Impaired: The majority of drivers ruled at-fault in these types of crashes were driving drunk or otherwise impaired at the time of the crash according to the NTSB. 69 percent of the tested drivers had a BAC of at least 0.08 percent, and 59 percent had a BAC of at least 0.15 percent. These numbers are believed to actually be higher in reality because not every driver’s BAC was tested at the time of the crash for one reason or another.
• Nights and Weekends: Approximately 78 percent of all wrong-way driving accidents occurred at night, and about 57 percent occurred on the weekend.
• Old Age: While only 3 percent of the victims in these types of crashes were 70 years old or above, approximately 15 percent of the at-fault drivers were in that age group.