Head-On Crash at Intersection in Santa Ynez Causes Injuries
I’m Ed Smith, a Santa Ynez car accident lawyer. A head-on crash is one of the most frightening experiences a driver can have. Not only does the driver experience the crash, but the death rate is relatively high. A head-on collision in Santa Ynez on April 18, 2017 caused multiple injuries.
What Happened?
The accident occurred just after 3:30 p.m. when a black sedan and white SUV collided head-on at an intersection located at Meadowvale Road and Highway 246, which is also called Mission Drive. The SUV ended up blocking eastbound lanes in part and sustained damage on its front end, while the sedan overturned and landed upside down. Tow trucks removed the vehicles, and lanes were closed in both directions while officers conducted an investigation of the accident.
Intersection Crashes
Drivers need to be particularly cautious when driving through or turning at intersections. According to statistics by the Federal Highway Administration, intersection crashes account for about 25 percent of accidents. Almost half of these accidents cause injuries to drivers and passengers. In 2014, the most recent year for statistics, traffic light installation can make a big difference in the number of fatalities at intersections, but they continue to occur. There were 8,661 fatalities at intersections nationwide in 2014. Of those, 2,675 occurred at intersections equipped with traffic lights, 648 involved pedestrians and 112 involved bicyclists.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions belong to a category of crashes known as lane departure crashes and are among the most deadly. The speed with which the cars are traveling is a factor in the severity of the accident. On high-speed roads, the use of median barriers can help prevent a vehicle from entering oncoming traffic. Although crashing into a median barrier is serious, the intensity of hitting a non-moving object is less than crashing into a vehicle moving at 50-60 mph. Head-on collisions happen most often on rural roads, which lack a median barrier.
Injuries suffered in head-on collisions can range from brain and spinal cord injuries, heart contusion and lung injuries or other types of chest trauma. The speed of the opposing vehicles is instrumental in the severity of the injuries.
The number of head-on collisions is relatively low at about an average of 2 percent of all crashes. Yet, the fatality rate is about five times the incidence rate at 10 percent. The cause of head-on collisions can be due to driving while impaired, distracted driving, speeding and losing control of one’s vehicle.
Santa Ynez Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Santa Ynez car accident lawyer. If you, or a member of your family has suffered an injury due to a negligent driver, phone me at (805) 372-0200 or at my toll-free number at (800) 404-5400. I offer friendly and free advice.
I have assisted Californians in recovering just compensation for their personal injuries for more than 35 years and founded www.autoaccident.com.
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