Hold Your Temper

In my Blog I have spoken often about the dangerous role aggressive drivers play in automobile accidents in Tennessee. Aggressive driving behaviors can include speeding, frequent and unnecessary lane changes, tailgating, and running red or yellow lights. These behaviors create unsafe situations and can lead to road rage.

Opinion surveys show motorists rate aggressive driving as a top threat to highway safety, yet many do not identify their own behavior as aggressive. Crash data shows a continuous increase in the number of deaths and injuries attributed to speed.

Road rage differs from aggressive driving. It is a criminal offense and is “an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of one motor vehicle on the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle or is caused by an incident that occurred on a roadway.”

A Memphis man is in jail today as the result of a road rage incident at an East Memphis apartment complex. From court documents and local media reports it appears this man got impatient with another driver who was taking longer at the security keypad then this guy thought was necessary. Instead of waiting his turn the man pulled a gun and fired one shot towards the woman. She sped away. The man is now facing a serious felony charge of aggravated assault as the result of his little outburst. We’re thankful he didn’t end up killing someone.

I would encourage each driver who ventures out onto the highways and byways of Tennessee to arm themselves with the telephone number of the appropriate law enforcement agency, either 911 or *847 for State Troopers and when you witness a road rage incident or an aggressive driving incident, pull over to a safe place and call in the license number, description of the vehicle and any other specifics that you observed. Save a life and tell all of your friends and families to step up and help reduce traffic fatalities in Tennessee.

If you or a loved one are injured or killed by a Tennessee road rager contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to determine your rights and remedies. Call 615-356-2000.

It’s been some time since my Blog “The Tennessee Auto Accident Attorney” has mentioned aggressive driving but after an aggressive driving experience this morning, this Tennessee automobile accident attorney thinks it’s about time to revisit this dangerous and all to regular behavior of  some Tennessee drivers.

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. Several states are considering legislation to deal specifically with the aggressive driving issue.

Traditionally, the traffic safety community has defined and attempted to measure aggressive driving in a variety of ways. Some studies of aggressive driving have focused on specific driving behaviors, such as speeding, tailgating, or violating traffic control devices, which are commonly thought of as behaviors typically associated with aggressive driving. Other studies have distinguished between aggressive driving behaviors and driving behaviors that may be dangerous but not necessarily aggressive on the basis of the driver’s intentions.

The Tennessee driving public also plays a role in making roadways safer. The public should report aggressive driving incidents to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. In many parts of the country, motorists can easily report aggressive drivers, impaired drivers, or other unsafe highway incidents over their cellular telephone by using simple numbers. In Nashville call 911 and outside of urban areas you can contact the Tennessee State Troopers by calling *847. If you do “drop a dime” on an aggressive driver you might just save a life down the line. I’d like to 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 or loved one has been injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by an aggressive driver, the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates have the experience and knowledge needed to successfully handle your Tennessee auto accident case. Contact us immediately after an auto accident and we will discuss the situation with you, free of charge, and come up with a plan of action to help you get compensation for your loss.

Obey The Red Light

An intersection is a planned point of conflict in the roadway system. With different crossing and entering movements by both drivers and pedestrians, an intersection is one of the most complex traffic situations that motorists encounter. Dangers are compounded when we add the element of speeding motorists who disregard traffic controls.

Question: How serious is the red light running problem?

Answer:  Red light running (RLR) is a serious traffic safety problem. According to the Safety Evaluation of Red-Light Cameras (FHWA-HRT-05-048, April 2005), RLR is estimated to produce more than 100,000 crashes and approximately 1,000 deaths per year in the United States.

Question:  Why do people run red lights?

Answer: RLR is a dangerous form of aggressive driving. Based on self-reported behavioral surveys, RLR is a result of people wanting to save time. However, several factors can lead to RLR such as impatient and inattentive drivers, improperly timed traffic signals, lack of enforcement efforts and the attitude that no harm will come from running a red light.

Question: What is the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) position on the use of photo enforcement cameras?

Answer: FHWA and NHTSA support a comprehensive approach to intersection safety that incorporates engineering, education, and enforcement countermeasures to prevent RLR and improve intersection safety. Red light camera (RLC) systems can be a very effective countermeasure to prevent red light running (Red Light Camera Systems Operational Guidelines, FHWA-SA-05-002, January 2005).

Question: Do studies show that there are safety benefits from installation of these cameras systems? Do rear-end collisions increase when RLCs are installed – in which case, aren’t we just trading one type of crash for another?

Answer: Analysis of data in the most comprehensive study to date (Safety Evaluation of Red-Light Cameras (FHWA-HRT-05-048, April 2005)) from seven jurisdictions (Baltimore; Charlotte; El Cajon, CA; Howard County, MD; Montgomery County, MD; San Diego; San Francisco) at 132 intersections using RLCs found:

25% decrease of total right-angle crashes

16% decrease of injury right-angle crashes

15% increase of total rear-end crashes

24% increase of injury rear-end crashes

The increase in rear-end collisions is problematical, but is the direct result of drivers following too close and being willing to take a chance at running the red light. Reserachers believe that once the driving population of a city using the RLC system gets used to the reality that the car in front of them is going to be less likely to ignore the traffic signal that they will be more cautious and respond more quickly to the signal.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Nashville automobile collision at an intersection by a red light runner contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.