Avoid Road Rage

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as, “when individuals commit a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.” Some other communities define aggressive driving as “the operation of a motor vehicle involving three or more moving violations as part of a single continuous sequence of driving acts, which is likely to endanger any person or property.

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.”

There is no question in my mind that an incident that occurred in downtown Nashville the other night would definitely come under the definition of road rage. According to local media reports the situation started when the driver and passengers of one car started bad-mouthing the driver and passengers of another. Someone in one car made a derogatory comment about the other man’s car.

Nashville police investigators told reporters that two men got out of their vehicles and starting fighting. During the fight, 42-year-old man from Camden, Tennessee was stabbed in the abdomen. The other man, age 27, from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee is now in jail. He’s being held in lieu of a $75,000 dollar bond. The stabbing victim is in stable condition at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

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 is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies. Call 615-356-2000.

Photo Courtesy of AAA Foundation For Traffic Safety

Speed Kills

A 22-year-old Nashville woman was killed in a Friday morning crash on Shutes Lane near Saundersville Road. The woman was a passenger in a car driven by a 22-year-old male from Old Hickory.

According to local media reports they were driving driving north on Shutes Lane when he lost control of the car at a curve in the road and collided with a 2007 Toyota Corolla, driven by 62-year-old Hendersonville woman. The woman died at the scene and the others sustained non-life threatening injuries. Alcohol and blood tests were ordered on the young man. I am familiar with that stretch of road and speed is always a factor on this narrow and winding country lane.

Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. Th economic cost of speeding-related crashes is estimated to be in excess of 40.4 billion dollars per year. In 2007, speeding was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, and 13,040 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes. The total economic cost of crashes was estimated at $230.6 billion in 2009.

The lesson of this incident for all Nashville drivers is obvious, respect the streets and the other drivers. Speeding is a dangerous game and can end in death for the speeder, the driver and passengers of the other vehicles and for innocent pedestrians. Fortunately no one else was involved in this accident.

If you or a loved is seriously injured or killed in a Tennessee motor vehicle accident by a speeding driver you ought to contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to find out about your rights and remedies.

Aggressive Driving Kills

Traffic on interstates usually moves more safely and efficiently because access is controlled. There are no stop signs, no railroad crossings and no traffic lights. Interstates usually have few steep hills or sharp curves to limit the view of the road ahead. Limited access or controlled access means that drivers enter or leave the roadway only at entrances and exits, called interchanges, without ever crossing the path of other traffic.

Interstates and divided highways have largely removed the chance of head-on collisions. Interstate driving requires good skills and habits so you can safely get where you are going. Safe use of the interstates demands a complete awareness of a higher speed type of driving and constant alertness by the driver. Interstates usually have several lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction. On these roads, leave the extreme left lane for faster traffic. If you drive at an even speed, you will have less need to change lanes. Remember, lane-hopping any time is dangerous, annoys other drivers, increases the risk of a collision, often contributes to “road rage” and very seldom saves the driver any significant amount of travel time.

A witness to a fatal Nashville automobile accident on I-440 this past Wednesday told police, according to local media sources, that the 21-year-old man, driving a red Mustang, had been tailgating him for some distance before he sped up and changed lanes to get around him. Unfortunately for the man and others on the highway,  the traffic in the new lane had slowed and when the man tried to whip back into the other lane, he lost control of his vehicle, left the road and slammed into a tree.

The lesson to be learned for other Nashville drivers is that we must always be alert to the traffic ahead of us and drive accordingly. This unfortunate young man was in a hurry and he will never arrive at his destination. My prayers go out to the family and friends of this young man.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident caused by a speeding driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies at no charge.

Red Light Means Stop

Stupid is as stupid does. My life experience tells me that there are some people, far too many, who are simply unable to see their own roll in their problems. These people blame everything on others and refuse to take responsibility for their own stupid actions.

Take, for instance, a recent intersection crash in Knoxville, Tennessee, in which a 23-year-old man who ran a stop sign and slammed into another vehicle, gets out of his wrecked car and tries to start a fight with the innocent victim.

To compound his stupidity, the guy then tries to fight with police officers responding to the crash. Instead of a ticket for running a red light this bozo ends up being charged with reckless driving, resisting arrest, aggravated assault, and disorderly conduct.

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.

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, like we have here, is a criminal offense. This 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.

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

A Centerville, Tennessee man who allegedly waved a firearm at another man during a fit of road rage was arrested this past Thursday in Bristol Virginia. The victim of the rage was hurrying to the scene of an accident involving his wife when he came across the angry man.

As the victim exited to the scene of the accident so did the rager. When the victim stopped he pointed out the rager to police who, after a short chase, arrested him and found the handgun and charged him with brandishing a firearm.

Road rage is a criminal offense. This 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, as is the case here, 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. Perhaps you have seen this maneuver or even done it yourself when you suddenly realized you were at your exit.

If you or loved one has been injured or killed in a Tennessee auto accident caused by an aggressive driver or a road rager, 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. Call 615-356-2000.

Keep Your Temper

Road rage incident leaves three innocent people dead with another in critical condition and the 18-year-old rager facing three felony murder charges.  The 18-year-old Signal Mountain man faces three counts of felony murder after authorities say he used a stolen pickup truck to run three people off the road and to their deaths.

He is accused of ramming the victims’ Jeep from behind on Suck Creek Mountain’s Big Fork Road in Marion County.  According to a local media report, the four victims had been out late, gathered around a campfire to watch people ride four-wheelers before heading home and encountering this animal. Investigators believe the man ran the other vehicle off the road and shortly thereafter burned the stolen vehicle he was driving.

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.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident by a road raging driver, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and get a complete picture of your rights and remedies.

Road Rage Is A Crime

According to local media and police reports, a road rage incident ended when the road rager lost control of his vehicle on I-24 and rolled his pickup truck. Police believe that two people riding in the truck perceived that another driver in a sports car cut them off in Murfreesboro, so they allegedly chased the other vehicle on the interstate for a number of mile to Clarksville where the accident occurred. Police arrested the driver and the passenger after suspecting that they had been drinking.

Road rage, unlike aggressive driving, is a criminal offense. This 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. Perhaps you have seen this maneuver or even done it yourself when you suddenly realized you were at your exit.

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. Try it! It might work for you.

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

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.

Road Rage is a Crime

Road rage, unlike aggressive driving, is a criminal offense. This 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. Perhaps you have seen this maneuver or even done it yourself when you suddenly realized you were at your exit.

Reference a case in Upper East Tennessee in which an man, angry over his girl friend dumping him, chased after her as she drove away and intentionally rammed her car forcing her off the road. She broke up with him earlier that same day and that night she went to a local dance hall. Apparently he followed her there and waited for her to exit the club, at which time he tried to, and succeeded in running her off the road.

He was arrested a short time later after police found him with a flat tire. He was charged with aggravated assault and felony endangerment. He didn’t have a good day and that bad day is probably going to get him some time in the penitentiary.

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 an aggressive driver, road rager or a drag racer, 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 is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident by an aggressive driver or drag racer, contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and get a complete picture of your rights and remedies. Call 615-356-2000.

Agressive Driver

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. However, the concept of aggressive driving is not well defined, and its overall impact on traffic safety has not been well quantified due to inadequacies and limitation of available data.

Although studies of aggressive driving have defined the issue in a number of different ways, most suggest that young males are more likely than other demographic groups to drive in ways that may be considered aggressive or dangerous. Some studies suggest that individual differences in personality play a significant role in one’s propensity toward aggressive or dangerous driving, and that people who drive aggressively are more likely than others to have other psychiatric or behavioral issues outside the specific context of driving.

In contrast, others point out that very polite and well-mannered people, who wouldn’t even think of cutting in line at the grocery store or doing other rude behaviors, act very rude and aggressive when behind the steering wheel, including late merges to cut in line.

Studies have also found aggressive behavior increases under states of stress and that certain driving situations such as traffic congestion can evoke stress. Moreover, it is important to recognize that an aggressive driving act by one driver can trigger a disproportionate response, sometimes even escalating to the level of “road rage,” which is a criminal act of assault which may stem from a confrontation that occurred on the road.

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 an aggressive driver, or a drag racer, 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 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.