Nightmare on I-75, what can we learn from it? Gainesville and Ocala accident attorney gives his advice to motorists and the State of Florida.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and to the families and friends of those that lost their lives in the tragic I-75 crashes early Sunday morning when a “wall” of smoke and fog rolled in obscuring visibility.

We cannot turn back the clock and reverse what occurred on a night that won’t soon be forgotten, all we can do is try to prevent another such disaster by learning from it.  What can be learned from this horrific event?  As an accident attorney and fellow traveler on I-75, three main things come to mind:

1. This is a good time to review basic driving precautions in smoke and fog or super fog:
• Slow down;
• Turn off the radio, get off the cell phone, and crack the window in order to hear other vehicles;
• Put headlights on low beam, not high;
• Use wipers and defroster;
• Move to the right lane or pull off the road completely and stop (do not stop on the roadway);
• Use emergency blinkers for better visibility.

2.  Conditions can rapidly change on any road, but especially on a high speed road such as an Interstate.  It is therefore important to always, in any conditions, to:
• Keep eyes and focus on the road and both hands on the wheel – put down the cell phone and do not drive distracted;
• Obey the speed limit;
• Give plenty of room between you and the vehicle in front of you – do not tailgate.

3. I urge the Florida transportation department to:
• Reduce the speed limit especially on this accident-prone dangerous stretch of I-75 between Ocala and Gainesville; 
• Install permanent overhead electronic warning signs, such as on I-95, to alert motorists of upcoming road conditions, including fog and smoke, on I-75.

Could these precautions have saved lives Sunday morning? We will never know. However, they may prevent a tragedy like this from occurring again.