Posted in Car Accident,Personal Injury,Tennessee Accident Law on April 8, 2015
TDOT Working on Plans to Improve Safety on Highway near Cookeville
Residents of the Rickman community in Overton County, Tennessee, have long complained that the intersection of Highway 111 and State Route 293 is dangerous, and now officials from the Tennessee Department of Transportation have made plans to make it safer.
A report by the Herald-Citizen states that TDOT will create a J-turn intersection, which is used at intersections that are known to be dangerous and cause a high number of traffic accidents.
Jennifer Flynn, a community relations officer with TDOT, said the J-turn is effective at reducing the number of vehicle conflict points and eliminates side impact collisions. She also said that studies indicate that these intersections lead to 46 percent fewer reported car accidents and 63 percent fewer accidents that cause injuries.
This news should come as a welcome surprise to drivers who use Highway 111 and to travel back and forth between Livingston, Tennessee, and Cookeville, Tennessee. The intersection currently uses hazard lights to alert drivers of the potential dangers that lie ahead, but so far those lights haven’t proven effective in reducing accidents.
The project is scheduled to begin construction in mid-2016 with an estimated cost of nearly $1 million.
The Cookeville car accident lawyers at Matt Hardin Law are glad to see that TDOT is doing its part to make Tennessee’s highways and state routes safer for all drivers.
What are the Most Dangerous Types of Roads and Intersections?
Some roads are more dangerous than others. Studies show that certain roadways or even stretches of road are much more likely to cause accidents than others. These include:
Although traffic is often minimal on these roads, they can pose serious risks for drivers due to their tendency to feature blind curves, multiple elevation changes, and little to no room shoulder room for drivers to move over to avoid potential accidents. In addition, rural roads are often extremely dark at night, making it difficult or even impossible for drivers to see obstacles in the road, including wild animals, until it’s too late.
Yield signs are designed to alert drivers to the need to slow down and check for oncoming traffic before merging into a lane, but many drivers either don’t slow down enough or don’t slow down at all when approaching these intersections. Entering an intersection with a yield sign without fully checking to make sure there is no oncoming traffic can be extremely dangerous for drivers, as they put themselves at risk of being sideswiped or rear-ended by other vehicles traveling at high speeds.
Urban areas often have large numbers of vehicles parked along the street. That can make it extremely difficult for drivers at cross streets to see approaching vehicles in the right lane and can often force them to blindly turn into the intersection. In addition, approaching drivers may be unable to see vehicles waiting to turn and will be unable to stop or slow down in time if the drivers pull out in front of them.
The Cookeville car accident attorneys at Matt Hardin Law know all too well about the dangers of certain types of roadways and intersections, as many of our clients were injured due to dangerous road conditions and designs. Although local and state government often undertake projects to make roadways safer, it’s still every driver’s responsibility to practice safe driving habits and remain cautious and alert behind the wheel.
If you were injured in an accident that was caused by a negligent driver, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your medical bills and lost wages. Get in touch with our legal team today: Just dial (931) 754-1188 or fill out a free online form.
