Ohio’s assured clear distance statute, also known as the assured clear distance ahead (ACDA) law, is a traffic regulation that requires drivers to maintain a safe following distance between their vehicle and the vehicle in front of them. This law is designed to ensure that automobile drivers have enough time and space to react to unexpected situations and come to a stop if necessary.
Assured Clear Distance Statute
Ohio Revised Code 4511.21(A) states, “No person shall operate a motor vehicle, trackless trolley, or streetcar at a speed greater or less than is reasonable or proper, having due regard to the traffic, surface, and width of the street or highway and any other conditions, and no person shall drive any motor vehicle, trackless trolley, or streetcar in and upon any street or highway at a greater speed than will permit the person to bring it to a stop within the assured clear distance ahead.”
In order to prove the assured clear distance statute has been violated, one must prove that the object which was struck was:
- located ahead in the lane of travel;
- was reasonably discernible;
- that the object was static or stationary or moving in the same direction;
- entered the lane of travel at a point sufficiently far ahead so as to make it possible to bring the vehicle to a stop and avoid a collision.
Per US Legal, Inc., the “assured clear distance ahead is the distance ahead of any terrestrial travel device such as a land vehicle, watercraft, skates, or skis, although commonly an automobile, which can be seen to be clear of hazards by the driver, within which they should be able to bring the device to a halt; drivers generally may not pose an immediate hazard upon where or when they cannot assure such distance ahead is clear.”
Subrogation attorneys
The assured clear distance ahead for any driver changes in every instance due to conditions, surrounding vehicles, and a host of other factors. At Keis George, we pursue commercial and personal automobile subrogation in state and federal courts in Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. Successful auto and uninsured motorist subrogation is a refined dynamic in which our attorneys use an aggressive methodology to interpret and apply state laws prior to fast-approaching statutory deadlines. To discuss the assured clear distance ahead statute in depth, contact one of our subrogation lawyers.
