Hazardous Road Conditions

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I am regularly asked what is the main thing a person can do to insure safety on the road. I tell them that there is not one thing but rather three things they must consider.

The first one is to insure that your vehicle is in good shape. Don’t drive with worn tires, bad brakes and malfunctioning brake, headlights and turn signals. The second thing I stress is to follow the traffic signals, speed limits and lane markers and the third and most important is to pay attention to road conditions and the other drivers around you. You do this by avoiding distractions such as cell phones, GPS systems, and other electronic devices.

Be aware of hazardous conditions. There are several driving events that require intense concentration on the part of the driver. A driver must always be on the defensive, thinking about what other drivers might do AND be prepared to respond with proper reactions. In addition, certain conditions, especially bad weather, trigger the need for special knowledge and skills.

Wet pavement can be as treacherous as snow and ice. To drive under these conditions:

• Slow Down. The pavement is particularly treacherous when it first begins to rain. Dirt and oil accumulations make a greasy film on the roadway, and it takes several minutes for it to wash away.

• Avoid Hydroplaning. A lot of water standing on the road during a heavy rain causes tires to lose all contact with the road, even if driving under 50 m.p.h. If the vehicle starts to hydroplane, slow down by letting up on the gas. Never suddenly apply the brakes.

• Improve Your Vision: (a) keep windshield wipers in good condition, (b) wait a few minutes after the rain starts so the rain/wipers can remove dust and grime, (c) use the defroster/air conditioner to keep windows/mirrors clear.

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

Yesterday I was driving through South Central Kentucky and I heard a radio news report about a nearby single-car  accident involving two teenagers. Details were sketchy but the gist of the article was that the 17-year old driver left the road, overcorrected and causing the car to roll and cross the highway into oncoming traffic.

Later that same night I was watching the evening news on Nashville NewsChannel 5 and heard about an incident in which an 18-year old driver hit a 7-year old pedestrian near Centerville, Tennessee. I was reminded of a recent report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic and Highway Safety which I recently shared with my staff.

The AAA Study looked at the number of people, other than the teen driver, who have died in crashes involving young drivers, such as teen drivers’ passengers, drivers and passengers of other vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The findings are interesting. Nearly two other individuals are killed for every teen driver killed.

The AAA Foundation analyzed data on fatal motor vehicle crashes from 1998 through 2007 and identified all fatal crashes involving a 15, 16, or 17-year-old driver of a passenger vehicle. Over the 10 years from 1998 through 2007, there were 24,655 drivers ages 15 through 17 involved in fatal crashes. These crashes killed 28,138 people, of whom 10,388 (36.9%) were the 15, 16, and 17-year-old drivers themselves. However, the majority of  fatalities in those crashes (63.1%) were people other than those drivers, and included 8,829 of their passengers, 6,858 occupants of vehicles operated by drivers age 18 or older, and 2,063 non-motorists and others.

On a positive note, the number of young drivers involved in fatal crashes each year decreased substantially over the years analyzed, with 776 fewer drivers age 15 to 17 involved in fatal crashes in 2007 than in 1998, resulting in the deaths of 311 fewer young drivers and 540 fewer deaths of other people in 2007 than in 1998.

We are all deeply effected by teen driving accidents but we can also play a roll in preventing them by being good driving mentors to our children.

Teen Driving Safety

If you or a loved one is injured in a Tennessee automobile accident involving a teen driver you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Tennessee Automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation so that you can learn about your rights and remedies.

We have positive news this week from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I can tell you that lap/shoulder seat belts, when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate to-critical injury by 50 percent. In 2008 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 13,250 lives.

I am encouraged by the new report from NHTSA which shows that seat belt use in 2009 stood at 84 percent, a gain from 83 per- cent use in 2008. This result is from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) which is the only survey that provides nationwide probability-based observed data on seat belt use in the United States. The NOPUS is conducted annually by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Seat belt use has been increasing steadily since 1994, accompanied by a steady decline in the percentage of unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities during daytime hours.

The 2009 survey also found that seat belt use for occupants traveling during weekends increased to 86 percent in 2009 (83% in 2008), which shows a significant annual increase. Seat belt use continues to be higher in the States, such as Tennessee, in which vehicle occupants can be pulled over solely for not using seat belts (“primary law” States) as compared with the States with a weaker enforcement law (“secondary law” States).

I urge you to teach your children well, teach them by good example to buckle up and join in a nationwide effort to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries. If you are the victim of a Nashville or Tennessee automobile accident we urge you to contact our Nashville car accident attorneys today for a free consultation. When you hire an auto accident attorney from Phillip Miller & Associates,

Seat Belt Use Save Lives

you’re getting a qualified and dedicated lawyer.