How a crash goes from bad to worse | Toledo, Ohio Car Accident Attorney

Three seconds. That's how much time a driver has to figure out what to do when a vehicle goes out of control.

While any other time the person could probably tell you how to handle the situation, now panic is setting in. They should know not to hit the brakes. They do. They should know which way to turn the wheel. But they don't.

While the Ohio Department of Public Safety does not keep data on it, in the last month there have been at least 12 instances of serious crashes in Ohio where a driver overcorrected, according to various news reports.

Some of those reports include the following:

• Three teenagers died in Ross County after the driver apparently overcorrected and lost control.
• A man was flown to a Columbus hospital after he started to go off the road, overcorrected and went back across the left side.
• A Newark woman was flown to a Columbus hospital after she overcorrected after going off the side of the road.

Most of these instances are due to distracted drivers, and people not leaving enough distance between themselves and the vehicle ahead of them.

Wendy Haar of TLC Driving School in Fremont said it's important for motorists to know if the vehicle they are driving has anti-lock brakes, which helps the uneven braking problem.

The biggest contributor to overcorrecting is when panic sets in.

"When you panic, your mind shuts off and you don't think logically," Haar said.

 If you or someone you know has been involved in a car accident, call our Toledo, Ohio car accident attorneys at 800.637.8170 for a free case evaluation or to request your free copy of The Ohio Accident Book.