The difference is significant, with drivers 65 and old being half as likely to see pedestrians moving toward the street than younger drivers. Using a driving simulator, researchers found that those older than 65 tapped on their brakes in response to a “roadside hazard” about half as often, suggesting either that they did not see it or that they did not consider it something they needed to attend to.

On a positive note the study found that older drivers drive more slowly — about 20 percent more slowly, perhaps to compensate for shortcomings in their peripheral vision and attention. The lesson for Tennessee drivers is that we should recognize that older drivers see the road differently and that we should give them plenty of road room when we encounter one.

If you have parents or loved one you might want to discuss this study with them and encourage them to take due precautions when they drive. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee roadway accident caused by an elderly driver, you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Tennessee auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

It never pays to think that you have seen it all. Reference a Kingsport Tennessee driver who admitted drinking 30 beers, I know, you ask why would anyone drink 30 beers, but that’s a subject for another Blog, and then ran into a house and fled the scene. That’s right, he hit a house.

Unfortunately, for this driver he left evidence at the scene that linked him to the crime, his son. You heard me, he left his 22-year-old son who was a passenger in the van. The police located and arrested the man shortly after the crime and charged him with DUI, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving. I suppose the driver will tell the court that the house stepped off of the curb in front of him.

If you or a loved one are injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by a drunken Hit & Run driver, contact the experienced Nashville personal injury lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates.

Be especially careful between 4 and 8 p.m., when most severe vehicle/young pedestrian collisions happen. Drive slowly, and don’t pass stopped vehicles. The driver might be dropping off children.

Park your cell phone. Avoid distractions by waiting until you’ve stopped to call, text, or surf. For more mobile phone safety tips check out my website at www.seriousinjury.com.

Watch for children darting into the street. Kids can cross the street anywhere, and most young pedestrian deaths happen at spots other than intersections.

Yield to young pedestrians. Children might not stop, either because they don’t see your vehicle approaching or don’t know how to safely cross the street.

Communicate with other drivers. Always use your turn signals. And if you have to pull over to drop off or pick up your kids, turn on your hazard lights.

And, to keep your own trick-or-treaters safe:

Teach them how to safely cross streets. They should look both ways and cross only at corners and crosswalks.

Consider indoor community Halloween programs for younger kids. Some communities also offer to help you inspect your kids’ treats to make sure they’re safe to eat. Brighten them up. Give them flashlights and glow sticks, and/or use reflective tape on their costumes, so drivers can see them.

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

According to the report, in the last 15 years, more than 76,000 Americans have been killed while crossing or walking along a street in their community. More than 43,000 Americans, including 3,906 children under 16 have been killed this decade alone. This is the equivalent of a jumbo jet going down roughly every month, yet it receives nothing like the kind of attention that would surely follow such a disaster.

Children, the elderly, and ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented in this figure, but people of all ages and all walks of life have been struck down in the simple act of walking. These deaths typically are labeled “accidents,” and attributed to error on the part of motorist or pedestrian. In fact, however, an overwhelming proportion share a similar factor: They occurred along roadways that were dangerous by design, streets that were engineered for speeding cars and made little or no provision for people on foot, in wheelchairs or on a bicycle.

According to the report the ten most dangerous metropolitan areas for pedestrians are:

1. Orlando

2. Tampa-St. Petersburg

3. Miami-Fort Lauderdale

4. Jacksonville

5. Memphis

6. Raleigh, N.C.

7. Louisville

8. Houston

9. Birmingham, Ala.

10. Atlanta

The Tennessee numbers are equally troubling, with Memphis leading the pack with 47 fatalities in 2007-2008, making up 11.40% of total traffic deaths, closely followed by Johnson City with 11.10% of the total. Nashville, with 32 deaths, came in at 7.00% of the total traffic fatalities. In Nashville, where pedestrian accidents have been on the rise over the last several years, Mayor Karl Dean has seen the problem and taken action by naming a special coordinatior to make the city more walkable. The Dean Administration designated $5.2 million for sidewalks and $900,000 for bike paths.

It’s up to all of us to practice driving safety and learn to share the roads so that we can have a safe and secure place to raise our children and make our elderly citizens safe in their golden years.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Nashville pedestrian accident contact the experienced Nashville accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates

Share The Road

, and get a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Intersection Safety Saves Lives

If you ask most people to define an intersection they will tell you it’s a place where two or more roads or streets come together. In reality, it’s far more complicated than that. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 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. Despite improved intersection design and more sophisticated applications of traffic engineering measures, the annual toll of human loss due to motor vehicle crashes has not substantially changed in more than 25 years. In 2008, there were 37,261 fatalities on our Nation’s roadways. Of these, 7,772 (20.8% of total fatalities) were intersection or intersection related.

The rules in Tennessee for intersections include issues such as the right-of-way, pedestrians, right turns, left turns and turn signals. Intersections include:

• Cross streets,

• Side streets,

• Driveways,

• Shopping center or parking lot entrances.

If you have read my blog in the past you know that I often refer to the concept of “traffic checks” which is the practice of looking frequently and carefully for vehicle traffic approaching from each direction. “Traffic checks” are especially important when merging or changing lanes and when approaching and crossing intersections. Below are five things to remember to navigate an intersection safely:

1. Look both ways as you near an intersection. Before you enter an intersection, continue checking traffic from both the left and right for approaching vehicles and/or crossing pedestrians. Look first to the left to make sure cross traffic is yielding the right-of-way. Then look for traffic from the right. If stopped, look both left and right just before you start moving. Look across the intersection before you start to move to make sure the path is clear through the intersection.

2. Watch your speed and be prepared to brake or stop unexpectedly at intersections if your traffic checks alert you to a possible hazard. You should slow down before reaching the intersection, drive at your slowest speed just before entering the intersection and gradually increase your speed as you cross the intersection.

3. You should be in the proper lane for the direction you intend to travel before you reach the intersection. Do not make last minute lane changes as you start through an intersection. Do not pass a vehicle in an intersection.

4. Do not move into an intersection and block it after the traffic lights have changed. This is not only common sense, but it’s also illegal to block an intersection after the light has changed.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I often recommend to my clients and blog readers to make the effort to contact the Department of Safety and review the Rules of the Road. If you or a loved one is injured in an intersection automobile accident, call our experienced Nashville accident attorneys and find out about your rights and remedies.