Road debris isn’t just a nuisance, it’s deadly
Between 2011 and 2014, road debris wrecks killed 500 people in America, caused more than 200,000 police reported crashes and approximately 39,000 injuries, according to an investigative study released in 2016 by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. It found that “debris related crashes were approximately 4 times as likely to occur on Interstate highways; nearly 37% of all the deaths in road debris crashes were caused by a driver swerving to avoid hitting an object and about two-thirds of debris related crashes” were caused when items fell off vehicles.
It also warned drivers that most road debris accidents happen between 10:00 a.m. and 3:59 p.m., in heavy traffic, when people are hauling or moving items “like furniture or construction equipment.” It urged drivers not to tailgate and to watch ahead for road debris.
In Missouri, dangerous debris can suddenly strike hard anywhere
On March 13, 2018, debris from a three-car wreck smashed into a fourth car on Highway 61-67 near Imperial. The crash killed a woman and hurt six people. There were no injuries in the car hit by debris. Fox 2 TV reported a red Chevy Impala caused the chain reaction wreck when it crossed over the center line and hit a white SUV head on. On July 15, 2018, the News Tribune reported a trailer came loose from a car and dumped its load all over the road in the dark on U.S. 50/63 after the car hit a bump. The wreck shut the expressway down for more than an hour.
For 40 years a St. Louis traffic reporter has been saving lives
Lance Hildebrand with “Y98” in St. Louis makes an entertaining game of warning the public about road debris. Listeners call in to report it. “Nothing shows up more than ladders and mattresses,” he says, but “mattresses almost always win.” Trying to pick up a mattress that blew off her loaded vehicle killed a Corpus Christi, Texas woman.
Road debris danger is growing in the U.S.
In 2018, U.S. News reported that road debris was increasing wrecks in and around Oklahoma City. An ABC affiliate in North Carolina, reported debris was causing “thousands of crashes” and “as many as 13 deaths.” In 2017, the Associated Press in Ohio reported road debris was causing 20 highway deaths a year. In 2017, an NBC affiliate in Florida interviewed a man whose head was almost cut off when a piece of metal lying on the road flew up and hit his car. His scary interview has the details. A CBS News video show how fast road debris can hit you.
Wayne Wright can be key to getting you a settlement in these accidents
The Washington Post reported recently insurance companies have reduced payouts and raised premiums nationwide in ways that are “wildly unfair.” As a result, claimants need a tough negotiator to represent them. Wayne Wright’s legal awards are proof of his ability to win insurance cases for his clients. He is one of America’s top trial lawyers. You only pay fees, agreed upon in advance, when Wayne Wright wins your case. Calls and evaluations are free.