Avoid Distractions Save Lives

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer I hear a report like the one on Jackson, Tennessee station WBBJ TV yesterday and I just have to shake my head and sigh. A mother and father driving with their two year old in the backseat of their vehicle and the driver fails to yield the stop sign at an intersection and rams into a police car that had the right of way.  For those familiar with my blog topics you know that I have warned continually about the dangers posed by intersections. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2005 alone, nearly 9,200 people died and approximately one million people were injured in intersection-related crashes-approximately 40-45 percent of all crashes. This is significant to say the least.

I have to ask myself why did this driver, with a baby in the vehicle ignore the stop sign and drive directly out into the path of oncoming traffic? My first thought is that the driver was obviously not paying attention to what he/she was doing and must have been distracted. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.  Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness.

We will probably never know the reason that this driver was distracted but we hope and pray that s/he will learn the lesson of due care– always focus on the road in the future. The two adults and the police officer were taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries and the 2 year old, who was safely buckled into a car safety seat was unhurt.

If you or a loved on is injured in a Nashville car accident by a distracted driver call on the experienced Nashville auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

http://www.wbbjtv.com/localnews.html

Child Safety Seats Work

The Kingsport Times-News reported that a fast moving sedan slammed into the rear end of a parked van containing five small children and three adults. Miraculously none of the children were hurt, but the van’s driver and two other passengers were transported to the hospital. The sedan driver was uninjured but was cited failure to yield and failure to have automobile insurance.

The report went on to say that, “Rescue workers severed the middle post connected to the passenger door panel while getting one hurt passenger out of the van. The authorities did not release the names of any of the victims. According to the reporter, the children were crying and as they were being ushered to the side of the road, one little girl yelled, “I love you, Daddy” while one passenger was placed on a stretcher.

The staff here at Phillip Miller & Associates sends our deepest condolences to the family along with our great relief that none of the children were injured. It appears that the thoughtful parents had these kids safely secured in their car seats.

Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to a landmark research report released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I look at this situation and ask myself why it is that a fast moving car rams into the rear-end of a van parked along a city street at 9:30 in the morning. It’s improbable that the car driver intended to ram the van so there must have been either a medical emergency or another type of distraction that caused the driver to take his eyes off the road. In that the driver was ticketed at the scene and not taken for medical treatment, nor was he arrested for driving under the influence it appears that the investigating authorities will focus on what distracted the driver. A good starting point is to examine the driver’s cell phone and determine whether he was making or taking a call. I will follow this accident and let you know what the investigators find out.

If you or a loved one is injured by a distracted motorist contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates immediately to find out about your rights and remedies.