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Driving on Iowa's gravel roads requires a certain skill set.

By Steve Lombardi

Question: In your experience what are some of the causes of driver's losing control of cars and trucks on gravel roads in Iowa?

Answer: I've been asked this question before and after almost 30 years of practicing in this area of the law I've got a good idea of what needs to be on the list. After an accident that takes someone's life we normally ask how it could have happened. Of course if all in the car are killed there may be no one to answer that question and we are left with learned opinions or mere speculation. A good investigation by the investigating officer, one that takes photographs of the road surface and shows tire tread marks and tire gully depth and direction can help us understand the situation, but even then to a certain extent we have to use opinion rather than fact. In my experience the county sheriff's office will not conduct any type of serious investigation. I'm not sure whether the county attorney instruct them to not conduct an investigation out of concern of county liability or whether it's poor training, too much to do or just not something they feel qualified to do properly , but they rarely share what they learn from being at the scene.

Here are a few reasons or causes I've seen.

• Speed of the car.
• Inattention of the driver to changing conditions.
• Driver distractions that allow changing conditions to take control of the car's trajectory.
• Alcohol or drugs impairing the driver's ability to maintain control.
• Activity in the passenger compartment that causes the driver to give up control of the car's operation.
• A malfunction in the car's steering or braking systems.
• The presence of another vehicle.
• A deer running across the road.
• Cattle being in the roadway.
• A dog or cat being in the roadway.
• The driver's attempt to avoid something in the roadway.
• A rut in the road.
• The building up of gravel that makes a tunnel in the road's surface.
• Improper grading of the gravel.
• Children in the car causing distractions for the driver.
• Driving into the sun and having the driver's vision obscured.

In thirty years of practicing law I've seen more than my share of reasons and causes. As drivers we are responsible for the safety of our passengers and it makes no difference if the driver dies in the accident. Look at the reasons and you'll see what gravel dictates to a safe driving experience. Mostly what I'd recommend is paying attention and slowing down. Those are the big ones. Put the cell phones away and safely arrive at your destination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkGR4QQmHU0

This question arises in relation to another death of an Iowa passenger on the roads in Jefferson County. On June 14th 2009 Tanya Kay Morris was heading south on Osage Avenue in Jefferson County, Iowa when she lost control of her Chevrolet causing the car to enter the east ditch before coming back onto the roadway and overturning several times. A passenger in her car Mark Eugene Reighard died as a result of the injuries suffered in the crash and 10 year old Janecia Morris and Tanya Morris also suffered non-life threatening injuries. Charges are currently pending against Mrs. Morris and the accident remains under investigation.

Rural Russia is a lot like rural Iowa. I've experience them both and for a kid from New England I would choose Iowa any day. Nikita Khrushchev and his wife visited Iowa and toured this farm country in the late 1950's. So it doesn't surprise me that Russia's rural areas have similarities.

Nikita Khrushchev's Great American Tour - (The portion of the tour in Iowa starts at 3:46 minutes; allow the video to load because it's pretty slow; at least it was the day I watched it.) – In Iowa he visited a packing house, a large packing house meat freezer and the Garst's Farm where Mr. Garst kicked the media out from trampling his corn; an act that Khrushchev took great enjoyment in watching. Did this visit influence how Russia's rural farms development? That's for another day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0Ob1wAsbio

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on June 23, 2009 (boomark / email).