Posted in Car accident,Uncategorized on August 16, 2016
A car accident that occurred Sunday, August 7, 2016, in Fairmont, West Virginia, sent two people to the hospital. The wreck occurred around 5:20pm on Warren Road. In addition to Fairmont City Police, the Fairmont Fire Department also responded to the scene. The Fairmont Fire Department had to cut the roof off one of the vehicles involved in order to free the female driver. Officers believe that the wreck occurred when the female driver of a GMC crossed over the yellow line and into the opposite lane. One person was transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV, and the other to Fairmont Regional Medical Center.
Many auto accidents happen due to distracted driving. Distracted driving is considered doing any activity other than driving while operating a motor vehicle. Distracted driving occurs from cell phone usage, eating, using a navigation system, or conversations with passengers, and account for 20-50% of all motor vehicle accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are 3 kinds of driving distractions:
Visual: taking your eyes off the road;
Manual: taking your hands off the wheel
Cognitive: taking your mind off of driving.
Distracted driving is a leading factor in motor vehicle accidents and is becoming a serious problem. West Virginia lawmakers have been trying to combat this problem by passing safety laws such as making it illegal to talk or text on a cell phone while behind the wheel. When operating a motor vehicle, be sure to obey all traffic signs and keep your attention on the road and immediate surroundings.
