We’ve all been there. You are driving along normally, and whether it’s distracted driving, a strong wind, or a change in the roadway, your car drifts off to one side or the other. If you’re fortunate, it drifts to the side where there is a median or emergency lane to give you some “grace.” If you’re not as fortunate, you might sideswipe a passing vehicle in the other lanes, sure to face collision charges. Either way, a vehicle veering to one side or the other while driving is a common problem, but it can turn deadly, mainly because of one big reason.
Overcorrection.
Overcorrecting while driving is a major factor in many vehicular accidents. It was definitely a factor in an accident that killed a young Winter Haven woman early on Sunday morning (9/25/16). Twenty three year old Morgan E. Nason was driving on Winter Lake Road when her car drifted into the grassy median. The cause is not yet known, but distracted driving is being investigated, since neither impairment nor excessive speed seems to have contributed to the accident. When her car drifted, she overcorrected and sent the 2008 Nissan Altima spinning across several lanes and into a tree on the other side of the roadway. Rescue responders had to cut her out of the car, and although she was wearing a seatbelt and her front and side airbags deployed, she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Tragedies like this loss of a young life remind us just how sobering of a responsibility driving is. A split second can totally take or change a driver’s life, and the lives of anyone else involved, including family and friends. Our condolences go out to the family of this young woman. Unfortunately, overcorrection led to an accident that was much more severe than the original drifting into the media. If you find yourself drifting off course while driving, don’t hastily respond and overcorrect. Instead, calmly regain control of the wheel, and either guide your car off the roadway if you can’t get back on track quickly and safely, or firmly (but carefully) correct the wheel to get yourself back on track. Jerking the wheel one way or the other can have severe and negative effects when driving.
If you have experienced an accident or were involved in a collision due to overcorrection from another driver, give Sessums Law Group a call. We represent clients throughout the greater Lakeland area, and when the unexpected happens, WE STAND FOR YOU!