Agressive Driving

Lately this Tennessee automobile accident lawyer has been giving a lot of thought to acts of aggressive driving. A recent article on the website of the Atlanta-Journal-Constitution points out an incident on I-285 that epitomizes the thoughtless nature of aggressive drivers who choose to put the lives of other drivers on the line so that they can get the thrill of drag racing.

According to the article two cars were racing on I-285 when one of them clipped another car and then, at high speed, hit three other cars, sending at least three people, with moderate to mild injuries, to the hospital and leaving thousands of dollars of damaged vehicle. Instead of stopping to see if they could help the inured, the cowardly jerks fled the scene.

Aggressive driving is a traffic offense or combination of offenses such as following too closely, speeding, unsafe lane changes, failing to signal intent to change lanes, and other forms of negligent or inconsiderate driving. Unfortunately, these actions put the rest of us at risk.

Aggressive driving is a major concern of the American public, ranking at or near the top of traffic safety issues in national surveys of motorists. In Tennessee and throughout the country, the public’s concern over aggressive driving continues to grow. Some studies indicate the public is actually more fearful of aggressive drivers than it is of impaired drivers. Aggressive driving is truly dangerous and cannot be tolerated.

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

Drag Racing Is Aggressive Driving

In all of the north East Tennessee news media they are referring to the trial of Timothy Sumner, 23 of Kingsport, as a drag racing incident but as an experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyer I know it as a classic example of an aggressive driving event.

The media reports tell us that Sumner who is facing a charge of felony reckless endangerment, approached a green Chevrolet Camaro driven by Michelle Ruth Donihe, 35 from behind at a high rate of speed. When he reached her bumper, he swerved into the middle lane, forcing her Camaro in the middle lane to swerve to the inside lane in an attempt to avoid a collision. When Donihe swerved, her Camaro hit a 1958 Corvette in the inside lane. There were no fatalities but damage to the vintage Corvette is estimated to be in the $20,000 range.

Aggressive driving is a traffic offense or combination of offenses such as following too closely, speeding, unsafe lane changes, failing to signal intent to change lanes, and other forms of negligent or inconsiderate driving. Unfortunately, these actions put the rest of us at risk. For example, an aggressive driver who resorts to using a roadway shoulder to pass may startle other drivers and cause them to take an evasive action that results in more risk or even a crash.

Aggressive driving is a major concern of the American public, ranking at or near the top of traffic safety issues in national surveys of motorists. In Tennessee and throughout the country, the public’s concern over aggressive driving continues to grow. Some studies indicate the public is actually more fearful of aggressive drivers than it is of impaired drivers. Aggressive driving is truly dangerous and cannot be tolerated.

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

Road Rage Is A Crime

In my Blog  “The Tennessee auto Accident Attorney” I haven’t written about a road rage incident in quite a while. A recent article on the website of WRBC TV in Chattanooga reports on a serious incident of rage, which fortunately didn’t leave anyone injured. It appears that a driver was somehow miffed at a school bus driver who was trying to change lanes. The miffed driver wouldn’t yield and the bus driver completed the lane change anyway. When the bus stopped at a light the raging driver jumped on board and confronted the driver. When the bus driver called 911 the rager fled.

Many people misunderstand the difference between aggressive driving and what has become known as “Road Rage”. Most experienced Tennessee Car accident lawyers think of  aggressive driving as certain driving behaviors, such as speeding, tailgating, or violating traffic control devices, road rage, on the other hand, is a criminal offense. Road rage occurs when a traffic incident escalates into a far more serious situation. For example, a person may become so angry over an aggressive driving incident that he or she overreacts and retaliates with some type of violence. These violent acts may range from a physical confrontation to an assault with a motor vehicle or possibly a weapon. Often, the roadway incident that caused the person to become enraged may have been something quite simple and even trivial.

Some incidents, by their very nature, are intentional acts, such as when a motorist switches from lane to lane in an effort to go around other vehicles. But others may have been committed unintentionally, such as when a motorist makes an abrupt exit from a roadway without properly signaling his or her intent. Many road rage incidents have resulted from drivers overreacting and allowing their egos to stand in the way of common sense and good judgment rather than safely reporting aggressive driving incidents. A simple display of common courtesy will often be appreciated and may even become contagious.

The public also plays a role in making roadways safer.  If you’re a witness to, or victim of road rage or any other form of aggressive driving, report it by dialing *847.  Never retaliate or react in a manner that causes more danger. Slow down and let the other driver pass.  When it’s safe to use your cell phone, call *847 and provide the Troopers with your location, a description of the vehicle and details regarding the aggressive driving behavior.

If you or a loved one is involved in a Tennessee automobile accident involving an aggressive or  road rage driver it is critical that you contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Report Road Rage

In my Blog  “The Tennessee auto Accident Attorney” I wrote about aggressive driving. Many people misunderstand the difference between aggressive driving and what has become known as “Road Rage”. Most experienced Tennessee Car accident lawyers think of  aggressive driving as certain driving behaviors, such as speeding, tailgating, or violating traffic control devices,

Road rage, on the other hand, is a criminal offense. Road rage occurs when a traffic incident escalates into a far more serious situation. For example, a person may become so angry over an aggressive driving incident that he or she overreacts and retaliates with some type of violence. These violent acts may range from a physical confrontation to an assault with a motor vehicle or possibly a weapon. Often, the roadway incident that caused the person to become enraged may have been something quite simple and even trivial.

Some incidents, by their very nature, are intentional acts, such as when a motorist switches from lane to lane in an effort to go around other vehicles. But others may have been committed unintentionally, such as when a motorist makes an abrupt exit from a roadway without properly signaling his or her intent. Many road rage incidents have resulted from drivers overreacting and allowing their egos to stand in the way of common sense and good judgment rather than safely reporting aggressive driving incidents. A simple display of common courtesy will often be appreciated and may even become contagious.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines road rage as “an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger of one motor vehicle on the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle precipitated by an incident that occurred on a roadway. Road rage requires willful disregard for the safety of others.

Aggressive driving has emerged as a real threat to the safety of Tennessee motorists. That’s why the Tennessee Highway Patrol takes a hard stance against any motorist who demonstrates aggressive, dangerous activities while driving in our state.

The public also plays a role in making roadways safer.  If you’re a witness to, or victim of road rage or any other form of aggressive driving, report it by dialing *847.  Never retaliate or react in a manner that causes more danger. Slow down and let the other driver pass.  When it’s safe to use your cell phone, call *847 and provide them with your location, a description of the vehicle and details regarding the aggressive driving behavior.

If you or a loved one is involved in a Tennessee automobile accident involving an aggressive or  road rage driver it is critical that you contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Practice Holiday Driving Safety

If you are involved in a Nashville automobile accident during this Holiday season you owe it to yourself to contact one of the experienced Tennessee car accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies by taking advantage of a free consultation.

Many Nashvillians involved in automobile accidents seem to feel that they can handle the negotiations with the other person’s insurance company on their own and save money. Indeed, during the first telephone conversation with the Insurance company representative you will be told that you don’t need to hire an attorney, they will just take more money out of your pocket. At this stage I urge you to end the conversation and visit my website, just listen to what I have to say about this situation. The adjustors for these companies are trained and in fact, receive a bonus for beating automobile accident victims out of a righteous settlement.

During this Holiday season there are a number of important things to be alert for while driving the highways and byways of Nashville. Remember, everyone is in a rush and tempers flare without much coaxing. Be polite and yield rather than engage.

Many drivers during the season have taken a taste of the dew and their reflexes are impaired or they are being aggressive with their vehicles. Once again, don’t engage, but do get a description of any vehicle you think is being driven by a drunk or aggressive drivers and contact the authorities. You might just save a life. If you are driving in Nashville, dial 911, and if you are outside of a municipal area dial *847 for the Tennessee State Troopers. Traffic police will on the job but they need your help to get the drunks off the roads.

Make it a safe and happy Holiday season and get home alive. Seasons Greeting to all from the staff at Phillip Miller & Associates.

Safety And Courtesy

As the holidays approach I am reminded of the dark side of the holiday buying season and that is the craziness that surrounds what has come to be known as “Black Friday”. I’d like to take this opportunity to remind my readers to pay particular attention to the rules of the road and to practice safe driving, especially in and around the parking lots of shopping centers. Watch out for pedestrians, especially children in parking lots.

There seems to be a frantic nature about this day, we see people getting trampled as stores open before dawn, normally peaceful people get into fist fights over merchandise and parking spots. On the road this day is know by the Tennessee Highway Patrol for the higher number of calls regarding aggressive driving.

On a day like this it is hard for drivers to focus their attention on the task at hand. So little time, so many multi-taskers. If you’re driving your vehicle, you are already multitasking. At a minimum you are: operating a piece of heavy machinery at high speed; navigating across changing terrain; calculating speeds and distances; and responding to all the other drivers and obstacles around you. Putting one more activity in the mix, even talking to your passengers or changing a radio station can be enough to make you lose control of your vehicle or fail to respond in an emergency.

Many road and parking lot rage incidents have resulted from drivers overreacting and allowing their egos to stand in the way of common sense and good judgment rather than safely reporting aggressive driver incidents. A simple display of common courtesy will often be appreciated and may even become contagious. Try it!

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Black Friday road incident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Report Dangerous Drivers

Yesterday I blogged about the differences between aggressive driving and what has become known in the popular media as “Road Rage” and how they manifest themselves in our daily lives as we travel the highways and byways of Tennessee. Throughout the country, the public’s concern over aggressive driving continues to grow. When the driving public hears about a road rage incident like one recently reported out of Bradley County, Tennessee, it’s hard not to be somewhat fearful. A North Carolina man and his wife are charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder after he fired his pistol at another car as they drove along the Interstate highway.

Some studies indicate the public is actually more fearful of aggressive drivers than it is of impaired drivers. Aggressive driving is truly dangerous and cannot be tolerated. Several states are considering legislation to deal specifically with the aggressive driving issue. In Tennessee aggressive driving is addressed in the Statutes as Reckless Driving. TN Code section 55-10-205) 55-10-205, describes reckless driving as; “Any person who drives any vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property commits reckless driving.”

In addition to legislation, states, including Tennessee, are addressing aggressive driving in other ways, including:

*Increased enforcement, through programs which coordinate local and state agencies.

*Local citizens’ initiatives and coalitions that implement public information/education campaigns to improve driver courtesy.

*Technological advances, such as photo radar.

*State public information and education programs that focus on the dangers of aggressive driving, provide tips for safe driving, publicize upcoming enforcement programs or advertise tip lines for reporting aggressive driving behavior.

The public also plays a role in making roadways safer. A an experienced Tennessee automobile accident lawyer I strongly urge the public to report aggressive driving incidents to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. In Tennessee, motorists can easily report aggressive drivers, impaired drivers, or other unsafe highway incidents over their cellular telephone by dialing *847. If this is the case in your community, remind motorists that they should use their cellular phone safely and let a passenger make the call, use hands-free operation, or pull off the road when making the call. They should not be distracted from the task of driving.

If you are the victim of a Nashville or Tennessee automobile accident we urge you to contact our Tennessee car accident attorneys today for a free consultation. When you hire an auto accident attorney from Phillip Miller & Associates, you’re getting a qualified and dedicated lawyer. Details about our attorneys and staff can be found by viewing our website at www.seriousinjury.com where you can get to know the men and women who will be looking out for your best interest.

Don't Play With Road Rage

Since reading an article about a “road rage” incident involving a Smart Car, one of the many tiny new economy cars we are seeing on the roads today, and an SUV I have begun to formulate a series of blog ideas on this increasingly visible problem that threatens the safety of drivers all over the country. By the way, as strange as it sounds, the giant SUV and its driver got the worst of the rage event.

As an experienced Tennessee Automobile accident attorney I think it fair to say that road rage is a term that can refer to any act of a aggression by a vehicle driver toward another. A better definition of road rage might best refer to extreme acts of aggression, such as physical assault, that follows a direct disagreement between drivers. I read somewhere that there are between 1000 and 1500 road rage deaths per year in the United States. Aggressive driving is a traffic offense, road rage is a criminal act.

Aggressive tailgating seems to be the most common form of road rage, followed by flashing headlights, obscene gestures, deliberately obstructing other vehicles, verbal abuse and finally physical assault, either with the vehicle or direct hand-to-hand fighting.

If you’re a victim of road rage or any other form of aggressive driving, report it by dialing *THP (*847). Never retaliate or react in a manner that causes more danger. Slow down and let the other driver pass. When it’s safe to use your cell phone, call *THP and provide them with your location, a description of the vehicle and details regarding the aggressive driving behavior.

If you are the victim of a Nashville or Tennessee automobile accident we urge you to contact our car accident attorneys today for a free consultation.

As an experienced Tennessee Automobile accident attorney I often find myself discussing different aspects of highway safety and the problems that drivers face and cause as they cruise the highways and byways of our fair state. One of the most important problems of our time most often confuses people. Many times I hear people mix up aggressive driving with road rage when in fact they are two very different things although they have common elements. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines road rage as “an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger of another motor vehicle precipitated by an incident that occurred on a roadway.”

Feel The Heat. One of the most important problems of our time most often confuses people. Many times I hear people mix up aggressive driving with road rage when in fact they are two very different things although they have common elements. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines road rage as “an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger of another motor vehicle precipitated by an incident that occurred on a roadway.”

Aggressive driving on the other hand includes behavior such as speeding, tailgating, running red lights or stop signs, and weaving in and out of traffic. It is estimated that aggressive driving costs the economy more than $40.4 billion a year, not to mention thousands of fatalities. We have all seen them, these aggressive drivers, they ride on people’s bumpers to force them out of the way, they weave in and out of traffic, their sense of self-importance worn on their sleeves for the world to see.

Today I’ll address the problem of aggressive driving. Aggressive driving behavior typically increases during the summer months, and the only way to put the bakes on it is to use a multi-pronged approach. Three states have been using this multi-pronged approach for several years now and have shown significant results. Maryland alone issued 205,062 tickets during the 2008 campaign, and the number of fatalities for aggressive driving was reduced. In Virginia, 98,474 tickets were issued and in Pennsylvania, 88,302. These states used technology to identify those areas where aggressive driving was a particular problem and they then enlisted the cooperation of local and county law enforcement agencies and stepped up a concerted enforcement policy that followed a creative public education program.

This summer the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) is intensified its enforcement efforts aimed at aggressive drivers with the launch of the “100 Days of Summer HEAT” enforcement campaign. All summer long Troopers and local police statewide were very aggressive with speeding motorists, impaired drivers and those not buckled up properly. ”100 Days of Summer HEAT” took place June 18-20, July 2-4 and August 5-7. The THP have been compiling the results of this effort and I’ll report the findings as they are published.

If you witness aggressive driving identify the vehicle (color, make and plate number if possible) and then pull over at the next safe place and call the THP or your local police and report them. Taking a minute to make the call might mean that someone down the line will live on the make it home to see their families. If you are injured, or know someone who is, call out experienced Tennessee accident lawyers and find out about your rights and remedies.