Lane departure crashes can result in serious injuries when a vehicle crosses into another lane, enters oncoming traffic, or leaves the roadway. Michigan State Police tracks lane departure crashes as a traffic safety emphasis area, making them an important issue for drivers throughout Macomb, Wayne, and Oakland counties.

What Is a Lane Departure Crash

According to the Michigan State Police 2024/2025 Year End Comparison, lane departure crashes are one of five GTSAC emphasis areas tracked annually by the Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Reporting Unit. Lane departure crashes occur when a vehicle crosses a lane line or roadway edge unintentionally, including crossing into oncoming traffic, running off the road, or striking a guardrail, curb, or other fixed object.

These crashes are tracked separately from intersection crashes because they occur in different settings and often have different contributing factors. Many involve a single vehicle and a fixed object. Others involve two vehicles traveling in opposite directions when one crosses the center line — producing a head-on collision, which is among the most severe crash types on any road.

What Michigan Law Requires

Michigan’s Vehicle Code sets out specific requirements for lane use. Under MCL 257.642, a driver on a roadway divided into two or more clearly marked lanes must drive as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane and may not move from that lane until the driver has first ascertained that the movement can be made with safety.

Under MCL 257.634, drivers generally must operate on the right half of the roadway, subject to certain exceptions. Michigan’s lane-use requirements may be relevant when determining how a vehicle crossed into another lane or entered opposing traffic before a crash.

What Causes Lane Departure Crashes

Lane departure crashes can involve a range of driver behaviors and roadway conditions. Distracted driving, drowsiness, impairment, speed, and loss of vehicle control may contribute in some cases. Weather and road conditions, including ice, snow, wet pavement, and pavement-edge conditions, may also be relevant depending on the circumstances.

In Macomb, Wayne, and Oakland County, lane departure crashes occur on freeways, on two-lane rural roads, and on higher-speed arterial roads where a momentary loss of attention can result in a vehicle crossing the center line or leaving the roadway before the driver has time to correct.

How Michigan No-Fault and Liability Apply

Michigan’s no-fault system may provide eligible injured people with PIP benefits for medical expenses and wage loss under MCL 500.3107, regardless of who caused the crash. This applies to lane departure crashes involving another vehicle just as it does to intersection crashes.

When a lane departure crash is caused by another driver crossing the center line or leaving their lane without it being safe to do so, the injured person may also have grounds to pursue a tort claim for noneconomic damages under MCL 500.3135, if the injuries meet Michigan’s serious impairment threshold. Whether that threshold is met depends on the specific facts, including the nature of the impairment and its effect on the injured person’s daily life.

An attorney can review the available evidence — including the police report, vehicle data, road conditions, and witness accounts — to help evaluate what legal options may exist.

If you were injured in a lane departure crash in Macomb, Wayne, or Oakland County, our team may be able to help. To speak with a Michigan personal injury attorney, contact us today.

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