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.

Click It Or Ticket

Highway travel during the 2009 Thanksgiving Holiday week is expected to be heavy in the State of Tennessee as families pile into their cars and head off for holiday destinations. But there’s one sure recipe that can turn a joyful holiday into a tragedy, failure to buckle up.   State Troopers will be patrolling Tennessee Interstates and highways looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing their seat belt. The message to travelers: “Click it or Ticket”.   The 2009 Thanksgiving Holiday period begins tonight at 6:00 p.m., and runs through midnight Sunday, November 29th.

From a Department of Safety press release; “Seat belts are the single most important safety device in your vehicle and they have saved countless lives and prevented untold numbers of injuries over the years,” said Department of Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell. “TDOS urges everyone driving on our state’s roads this holiday to drive carefully, don’t drive impaired and, most important, buckle up each and every trip, night and day.”

Although safety belt usage climbed to 81.5 percent in 2008, more than 50 percent of people killed in Tennessee traffic crashes were not wearing a safety belt. Research shows that it’s almost nine times safer to wear your safety belt every time you get in the car.

“If you are planning to travel by car to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday with family and friends, make sure you and everyone riding with you buckles your seat belts,” stressed THP Colonel Mike Walker. “Whether you’re traveling across town, or across the state, if you or anyone in your vehicle is unbelted you run the risk of getting a little holiday present from a State Trooper or local law enforcement officer.”

Ten people were killed in crashes on Tennessee roads during the 2008 Thanksgiving Holiday weekend (102-hour holiday period). That is a decrease from 2007 when 13 people died and 20 fatalities in 2006. But six of the eight vehicle occupants who were killed during the 2008 Thanksgiving Holiday weekend were not wearing safety restraints.

From the staff and attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates we wish you a safe and joyful holiday season.