When I think of a drag racing car I think about a thousand other vehicles before I come to a Toyota Echo, but when you factor in a 16-year-old driver and a 13-year-old boy on a dirt bike anything can happen. Reference a recent serious accident in Kingsport Tennessee involving, you guessed it, a 16-year-old girl driving a Toyota Echo and a 13-year-old boy on a dirt bike. It didn’t end well.

Witness told police that these children raced in a residential area when the Toyota driver lost control, went airborne and hit a utility pole splitting in half and landing on it’s roof in the yard of a residence. The driver was trapped in the car and had to be extricated by emergency personnel. She is hospitalized in very serious condition. My prayers go out to her and family as well as my wishes for a speedy and complete recovery.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for American teens. Most Americans typically learn to drive during the teen years, when the brain is not fully mature yet. Recent research is beginning to give us insight why many teens have difficulty regulating risk-taking behavior:

* The area of the brain that weighs consequences, suppresses impulses and organizes thoughts does not fully mature until about age 25.

* Hormones are more active in teens, which influence the brain’s neuro-chemicals that regulate excitability and mood. The result can be thrill-seeking behavior and experiences that create intense feelings.

Teen Drag Racing Crash

In addition to laws, safety experts agree that parents play a key role in helping teens become good drivers. Parents should not rely solely on drivers education classes to teach good driving habits and should restrict night driving, restrict the numbers of passengers riding with their teen, supervise practice driving, always require use of seat belts and choose vehicles for safety, not image. Parents can also set a good example by practicing safe driving techniques themselves.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a teen driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney my practice requires me to keep up with studies and reports about highway safety issues. Yesterday I came across and interesting report by the US Department of Health and Human Services about underage drinking.

Teen Alcohol Abuse Over 4th of July Weekend

Since 2008, celebrating the Fourth of July has meant enjoying a 3-day weekend. With parades, picnics, and fireworks, the festivities, according to the report, can all too often lead to a trip to the hospital emergency room for underage individuals who have been consuming alcohol.

On an average July day in 2008, there were 502 emergency department (ED) visits involving underage alcohol use across the United States, according to estimates from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). Over the 3-day Fourth of July holiday weekend, however, the number of daily ED visits jumped to 938, an increase of 87 percent. While all underage alcohol consumption is of concern, consumption that leads to a hospital visit should be of particular concern to adults and to health care professionals.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a serious Tennessee car accident due to somebody else’s negligence, then you may be feeling angry, frightened, or even alone in your suffering.

There is no reason for you to bear your burden alone.  The experience of a Tennessee auto accident is traumatic enough and your recovery will bring its own challenges.  You don’t need the added stress of worrying about who will pay for the medical care you need, how your car will be repaired, and if the individuals responsible for your suffering will be brought to justice.  This is the time to call Phillip Miller & Associates, the law firm of local Tennessee attorneys and staff who for the past 25 years have dedicated their lives to protecting the rights of injured men, women, and children in Tennessee.

Please excuse me if I have been focused on teen drivers, or more specifically, teen driving fatalities lately but as an experienced Tennessee auto accident lawyer I am aware that this time of year seems to be the beginning of the season of death for our youngsters. I have been thinking a lot lately about teen drinking and driving. I’ve discussed here many times the sad fact that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group.

The basic reasons behind this statistic are obvious, teen drivers have no experience with the myriad issues faced by drivers with experience, furthermore, they are immature and often takes risks, most often speeding, and are easily distracted which contribute to the increased death rate. Couple these factors with alcohol use and the picture is way more uncomfortable.

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services children become curious and some try drinking as early as 9 years old. Before age 9, children typically view drinking negatively. Between the ages of 9 and 13, they start to view alcohol more positively. Children at this age become more aware of the drinking behavior of their parents and other adults.

Conversation is often more effective before children start drinking. They often start asking questions about alcohol. The reason most children choose not to drink is because their parents talked to them about it.  When you talk to them directly and honestly, they are more likely to respect your rules and advice about alcohol use. Children who start drinking at a young age are more likely to have problems with alcohol later in life.

Children who begin drinking before age 15 are seven times more likely to abuse alcohol or to have alcohol problems as adults. By starting a conversation about alcohol early, you can stop them from making a decision that could potentially harm their health and future. The chances that children will use alcohol increases as they get older.

Studies report that around 10% of 12-year-olds say they’ve tried alcohol, but by age 15 that number jumps to 50%. The sooner you talk to your child about alcohol, the greater chance you have of impacting his or her decisions about drinking. If you don’t talk about it, you’re saying something. What you say to your child about alcohol use is up to you. But remember, if you don’t say anything to your child about drinking, you might give the impression that underage drinking is acceptable.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I strongly suggest that you create your action plan. Personalize a plan for talking to your child about alcohol. Visit my web site at Phillip Miller & Associates or www.underagedrinking.samhsa.gov/why-talk-early.aspx to get information about how to approach this task.

Teen Driving Accidents Kill Others

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I have handled more accidents involving teen drivers than a I care to think about. One of the things that I began to notice several years ago is that when teen drivers crash it seems that other parties are impacted more often than in adult accidents. A recent study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety supports my observation.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety analyzed data on fatal motor vehicle crashes from 1998 through 2007 and identified all fatal crashes involving a 15, 16, or 17-year-old drivers of a passenger vehicle. Over the 10 years from 1998 through 2007, there were 24,655 drivers ages 15 through 17 involved in fatal crashes. These crashes killed 28,138 people, of whom 10,388 (36.9%) were the 15, 16, and 17-year-old drivers themselves.

However, the majority of fatalities in those crashes (63.1%) were people other than those drivers, and included 8,829 of their passengers, 6,858 occupants of vehicles operated by drivers aged 18 or older, and 2,063 non-motorists and others. On a positive note, the number of young drivers involved in fatal crashes each year decreased substantially over the years analyzed, with 776 fewer drivers age 15 to 17 involved in fatal crashes in 2007 than in 1998, resulting in the deaths of 311 fewer young drivers and 540 fewer deaths of other people in 2007 than in 1998.

There was also a substantial decrease in the fatal crash involvement of adult drivers over the same period; however, the decrease in the fatal crash involvement of young drivers and people killed in those crashes was significantly larger than what would have been predicted from the decrease in the fatal crash involvement of adults.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a teen driver you owe it to yourself to retain the experienced Nashville car crash lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and maximize your recovery.

Distracted Teen Driver

Among experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), it is generally agreed that teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group. Per mile, the crash rate for 16 year-old drivers is 10 times the rate for drivers between 30 and 59. The basic reasons behind this statistic are obvious, teen drivers have no experience with the myriad issues faced by drivers with experience, furthermore, they are immature and often takes risks, most often speeding, and are easily distracted which contribute to the increased death rate.

A recent Tennessee automobile accident involving a teen driver makes the point that lack of experience and inability to avoid distractions is a major problem on our highways. The case from Johnson City involves a 17-year-old girl who was driving a pickup truck accompanied by three dogs. She was stopped at a stop sign and without warning pulled out directly in the path of a fully loaded log truck. According to investigators she was lucky to have avoided being killed. What was she doing within the seconds leading up to her pulling out into traffic? Was she using her cell phone? Was she distracted by the three dogs with her in the truck? Whatever it was, it kept her from looking at the oncoming traffic before making a decision to pull out.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer I have seen far too many teen deaths and I strongly encourage parents to be realistic about the skills and propensities of their children. It’s a time of excitement and dread for every parent, the time when their precious little Bobby or Betty reaches the age when they can drive. Excitement because their child is growing up and the parents can relinquish to job of being the chauffeur for their busy teens and dread because the know in their heart of hearts the dangers that teen drivers face as they take to the highways and byways.

In addition to laws, safety experts agree that parents play a key role in helping teens become good drivers. Parents should not rely solely on drivers education classes to teach good driving habits and should restrict night driving, restrict the numbers of passengers riding with their teen, supervise practice driving, always require use of seat belts and choose vehicles for safety, not image. Parents can also set a good example by practicing safe driving techniques themselves.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a teen driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Protect Your Teen Drivers

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I have a dread of this time of year. It seems to me that teens making the transition from high school to college become headlines in the news stories relating horrific fatal traffic accidents. Over the many years I have been in practice I have counseled with so many parents I couldn’t possibly count them, whose children have been seriously injured or killed in a Tennessee auto collision caused by a teen driver.

One of the reasons I spend my time writing these blogs is that I want to remind Tennessee drivers of the dangers that we all face as we take a motor vehicle out on the highways and byways of Tennessee. I recently found something from the Allstate Foundation, an independent, private, non-profit organization funded by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation, that I think is a must read for every Tennessee parent.

Learning to drive is a critical milestone in a teen’s life and one in which parents should play an active role. Here are some suggestions:

• Talk to your teen early and often. Discuss the risks anresponsibilities of driving with your child at a young age and keep talking to your teen before, during and after the licensing process.

• Determine if your teen is ready to drive. Not all teens are ready to drive when the law says they can. Driving is a privilege, not a right.

• Don’t rush the process. Just because teens have a permit or license, doesn’t mean they are ready for every driving condition.

• Maximize driver education experience. Seek tips from parents and teens who have recently participated in driver education programs. Remember, driver education is merely a first step in the process. Parents should provide the bulk of supervised driving practice and discussion before, during and after licensure.

• Understand your state’s laws. Every state has Graduated Driver Licensing laws to help new drivers get their initial on-the-road driving experience under lower-risk conditions. Familiarize yourself and your teen with these requirements, and establish your own rules for when, where, how and with whom your teen may drive.

• Empower your teen. Being a passenger in another teen’s car can put your teen at risk. Peer pressure among teens can be both positive and negative. Reinforce how important it is that your teen speaks up in dangerous situations.

• Exert positive peer pressure. Encourage other parents to set appropriate rules for their teens so you can present a united front.

• Practice what you preach. Your teen is more likely to be a calm and courteous driver, wear a seat belt and follow the rules of the road if they see you do the same.

Take action and visit www.ProtectTeenDrivers.com to find:

• Complete survey findings

• Downloadable parent-teen driving agreement

• State-by-state Graduated Driver Licensing laws

• Tips for:

– Talking to your teen and other parents about this issue

– Determining if your teen is ready to drive

– Teaching your teen to drive

– Selecting and maximizing the driver education experience

– Encouraging your teen’s high school to help create a safe driving culture

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a teen driver contact the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

In Part Three, I’d like to address another important factor in enhancing your teenagers driver education experience. Engaging your teen in safe driving is the first step in protecting him from harm, and talking with your adult peers is another important step to raise awareness and drive change. The following are some ideas for discussing the issue with other parents:

* Talk to the parents of your teen’s friends about the rules they have for their teen driver and share your rules as well – an easy way to gather effective resources. It’s just as important to discuss teen driving rules with fellow parents as it is to discuss rules you have regarding teen parties, alcohol use and curfew.

* Convince parents in your community to commit to a common set of driving rules that they’ll enforce. It’s much easier to be an effective parent when you have the support of other parents in your community.

* Find out how other parents respond when their teen violates their family’s driving rules. Ask them how they’ve handled situations that you have found challenging. Parents often gain useful advice from each other.

* Discuss how best to coach teens on what to say when they’re passengers in a car that they think is being driven unsafely.

* Talk to other parents about how to respond if they discover that one of their teen’s friends who has been driving has also been drinking. Give each other the authority to take the teen’s car keys and call the teen’s parents, call a taxi or allow the teen to sleep over. Agree that you’ll never permit a teen to leave your house and drive if you suspect that he has been drinking.

* The next time your school organizes a meeting or back-to-school night for parents of teens, be sure the topic of teen driving is on the agenda.

* Organize a parent discussion at your teen’s school about your state’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) requirements to help parents of teen drivers in your community learn the law. Consider inviting a representative from your local police to explain the regulations and how they’re enforced where you live.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney i hope the last three blogs have been helpful to the parents of teen drivers. If you need more information check out my website at Phillip Miller & Associates or any of the following web sites:

http://www.saferoads.org/

http://www.aaafoundation.org

http://vtti.vt.edu

http://usa.safekids.org

http://fmcsa.dot.gov/

http://autosafety.org/

http://www.carcrash.org/

http://www.madd.org

http://www.stopimpaireddriving.org

As Part 2 of my series of blogs about parental responsibility to teach their children safe driving skills I’m going to address some strategy to help parents pick the right Driver Education Program.

Choosing and Making the Most of Your Teen’s Driver Education Program

You’re likely to have a choice of driver education/training programs. Following are some guidelines to ensure your teen gets the most out of this experience:

* Seek out parents and teens who have recently participated in driver education programs, and ask about their experience and recommendations.

* Visit the facility and ask about what the program entails, details regarding on-road practice and conditions, the program’s accreditation status, instructor credentials, how much liability the school carries and parental involvement.

* When your teen is learning to drive, it’s important to maximize the quantity and quality of supervised driving experience. Ideally, this involves a partnership between parents and professional driver education instructors; therefore, making it important to choose a driver education program that shares this philosophy.

* Look for programs that maximize on-road driving practice and parent involvement.

* Be wary of programs that include training in skid control or other emergency driving maneuvers. Programs of this type have been found to increase rather than decrease crashes.

* Be mindful that a driver education program is merely a first step in the learning-to-drive process. It’s up to you to provide your teen with the bulk of supervised driving practice and instruction prior to licensure.

* Ask the instructor how you can best supplement the driver training your teen is getting in the course and ask if there are any particular driving habits your teen needs to improve.

* Talk to your teen about driving lessons and discuss further with an instructor if needed.

* Even after completing driver training, let your teen know if he does something unsafe. Remember that driver education is an ongoing process and teens still will be developing driving skills after they’ve completed the class.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I have seen dozens of fatal accidents involving teens. When you speak to the parents of these teens they are haunted by the question, “What could I have done to have prevented this thing?” The answer for them comes far too late, but for you there is an answer, and that answer is to get involved here. Parents cannot rely on school drivers education classes as the only training they get. Ride with your child. Make sure he/she knows the little things that make all the difference and will asure they they arrive home alive.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville auto accident contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates at take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Teaching Teens Safe Driving

Over the next several blogs I’m going to talk about things Tennessee parents can do to help insure that their teen drivers get the information they need to help them have a safe and healthy driving career.  How can parents help their children become safe drivers? As a parent, you ultimately want your child to be well-trained to tackle life’s challenges. Learning to drive is part of that training and it’s important that parents play an active role in the process. The following is a variety of information that can help you:

* Talk to your teen early and often. Discuss the risks and responsibilities of driving with your child at a young age and keep talking to your teen before, during and after the licensing process. This discussion should have the same – or even higher priority level – as discussing sex and drugs.

* Don’t rush the training process. Just because teens have a permit or license, doesn’t mean they are ready for every driving condition. By easing into the training process, such as practicing in parking lots and side streets instead of busy highways, you’ll help ensure you and your teen will be ready for any situation.

* Understand your state’s laws. Every state has Graduated Driver Licensing to help new drivers get their initial on-the-road driving experience under lower-risk conditions, protecting them while they are learning.  Familiarize yourself and your teen with these requirements, and establish your own rules for when, where, how and with whom your teen may drive by creating a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement. Even after receiving their license, some teens are not prepared to drive on their own – only you can decide when your teen is ready to drive without adult supervision.

* Empower your teen. Being a passenger in another teen’s car can put your teen at risk. Peer pressure among teens can be both positive and negative. Make sure your teen knows it’s okay to say something if uncomfortable while riding with a friend and help her practice what to say in these situations. Although you can’t be with your teen at all times, you can how important it is that your teen speaks up in dangerous situations.

* Practice what you preach. Be a positive role model when you’re behind the wheel. Your teen is more likely to be a calm and courteous driver, wear a seat belt and follow the rules of the road if they see you do the same.

If you want to learn more about safe driving and find other links to safety information visit our web site at Phillip Miller & Associates. If you or a loved one become involved in a serious Tennessee automobile accident you owe it to your family to contact the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation.

Teen Driving Fatlity

A Nashville teen driver made a fatal mistake when he got on to the wrong side of I-65 in downtown Nashville. It didn’t take long for the inevitable to happen. An SUV traveling in the correct lane smashed into the teen’s car head-on. The SUV with it’s six passengers was badly damaged and through the grace of god only two were slightly injured. The teen driver died. My prayers go out to his family and friends.

Why was this young man driving on the wrong side of the road? As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney I have to ask myself, was he under the influence of some controlled substance or alcohol. We won’t know the answer to this question until after an autopsy is completed. On the other hand he might have been so distracted that he really wasn’t paying attention to what he was doing.

Among experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), it is generally agreed that teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group. Per mile, the crash rate for 16 year-old drivers is 10 times the rate for drivers between 30 and 59. The basic reasons behind this statistic are obvious, teen drivers have no experience with the myriad issues faced by drivers with experience, furthermore, they are immature and often takes risks, most often speeding, and are easily distracted which contribute to the increased death rate.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a teen driver you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation.