Early Saturday morning, a single vehicle accident resulted in the death of a 20 year old woman from Silver Springs Shores. Kendall Sidle’s vehicle veered off the road and onto the shoulder as she was traveling east on Southeast 110th Road. After veering off the road for unknown reasons, Kendall overcorrected in an attempt to get back onto the road, and as her tires dug into the ground, her vehicle overturned and ejected her from the vehicle. Kendall was not wearing her seatbelt.
According to a Department of Transportation study, young drivers, ages 15-24, have the highest rate of traffic fatalities than any other age group. The same study also states that young drivers are involved in more single vehicle, ROR (Run Off the Road) crashes than any other group. Factors such as inexperience, alcohol or drugs, ejection at the scene due to no seatbelt, speed, existence of curve, and nighttime driving are listed as the top contributing factors.
Surprisingly, many people are unaware of how to react if their vehicle’s wheels drift off the roadway and onto the shoulder. Most people react by panicking and jerking the wheel sharply to the left in an attempt to turn back onto the roadway. This maneuver, known as overcorrecting, should never be attempted! It could throw the vehicle off balance causing it to flip or slingshot it across the roadway into traffic. Instead, the driver should let up on the accelerator and carefully reduce their speed down to at least 25 mph. Once the vehicle slows, the driver should slightly turn the wheel back towards the roadway and ease the wheels back onto the road, allowing the tires to climb back onto the pavement.
At Attorney Steven A. Bagen and Associates, we have represented thousands of passengers who have been involved in single vehicle Run Off the Road accidents as well as drivers of vehicles who have been involved in single vehicle rollover accidents where the vehicles roof caved in and did not properly support the vehicle or occupants. If you or someone you know has been involved in a single vehicle accident, please call us at (352)377-9000 or email us at SABOFFICE@BAGENLAW.COM.
