Teen Driver Dies

According to local news reports an 18-year-old Cookeville teenager was killed in a traffic crash on the Gainesboro Grade in Jackson County on Wednesday afternoon. Three passengers, a 39-year-old woman, an 80-year-old man, and a 57-year-old woman, all of Gainesboro, Tennessee were injured.

The facts of the accident are confusing, at best. It appears that the teen driver was driving westbound in the eastbound lane and crashed head-on into an oncoming van. The driver was not wearing his seatbelt. The three people in the van were all injured but the report doesn’t describe their injuries.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney, I’ll have to say, I’m confused and have lots of questions. The main question is why was the young driver in the wrong lane, followed by why he was not wearing his seatbelt. I’ll keep up with this story and try to gather more facts. Was he passing another car? Was he somehow incapacitated by a medical problem? Was he distracted in some way?

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville automobile accident contact the experienced Tennessee auto accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation. Call 615-356-2000.

Teach Teens The Dangers of Texting

In a mock scenario,  one person died and two were seriously injured in a staged two-car crash at Station Camp High School Tuesday morning that involved Vanderbilt LifeFlight, Gallatin police and fire departments, and Sumner County Emergency Management Services.

The mock accident was caused by an activity popular among high school age students who text while driving. Here’s the scenario; A car full of teens whose driver had been texting collided with a car driven by a pregnant woman. The wreck was followed by a dramatic 911 call, followed by sirens and a dramatic rescue by emergency personnel and a LifeFlight air lift to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to save a dying woman and her unborn child.

Of the thousands of deaths caused by texting drivers who became distracted, I would bet that not one of them thought when they set out driving that day that they were going to kill themselves or another, but taking your eyes and your attention off the road for even a second can change your life, or end another’s.

The experienced auto accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates applaud the effort made by the school and emergency responder community of Sumner County for taking the time to being this important issue the attention it deserves.

Teen Driver

Among experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), it is generally agreed that teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group.

Per mile, the crash rate for 16 year-old drivers is 10 times the rate for drivers between 30 and 59. The basic reasons behind this statistic are obvious, teen drivers have no experience with the myriad issues faced by drivers with experience, furthermore, they are immature and often takes risks, most often speeding, and are easily distracted which contribute to the increased death rate.

That seems to be the case when two Stewart County, Tennessee teen drivers decided to engage in a road race on a Clarksville road. Driver One, driving a 1999 Honda Accord, and Driver Two, driving a 2002 Dodge Neon, were traveling at high rates of speed and cutting in and out of traffic when Driver One’s car struck Driver Two’s from behind during a lane change.

Driver One’s car entered the median sideways across the northbound lanes, left the road off northbound side, hit a street sign, hit a culvert and came to rest on its roof. Driver Two’s car went to the right after impact, struck a guardrail with its front end, spun around and struck the guardrail with its rear end, traveled south on the parkway, spun around and came to final rest in the middle of the intersection of the 101st (Highway 374) and Garrettsburg.

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

Teen Drivers

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group.  The basic reasons behind this statistic are obvious, teen drivers have no experience with the myriad issues faced by drivers with experience, furthermore, they are immature and often takes risks, most often speeding, and are easily distracted which contribute to the increased death rate.

A 2008 study conducted by Allstate Insurance Co. that concludes that Tennessee ranked sixth in the nation for fatal crashes involving teen drivers. She went on to point out that the same study ranked the Nashville-Murfreesboro metro region fourth in the nation for fatal teen crashes.

In an effort to keep young drivers safer, Tennessee introduced a graduated driver’s license law in 2000 to ease teen drivers into the responsibilities of driving and limit the number of unsupervised hours they can spend on the road. She goes on to mention on a recent report by the Tennessee Comptroller that shows there has been a significant drop in the number of traffic crashes involving young drivers from 136 in 2005 for every thousand drivers aged 15-24 to 11 for the same group by 2009.

Immaturity is a hallmark of teen fatalities and in a recent serious accident in Clarksville Tennessee, as an immature teen passenger grabbed the teen driver and the vehicle went off the road into a ditch and slammed against a utility pole. Couple this with a violation of the Graduated Drivers License Law by having other young teens in the vehicle and you have a recipe for disaster.

Fortunately no one was killed, one girl is in critical condition at Vanderbilt and we pray for a complete and speedy recovery. As for the teen driver, he will lose his driving privileges until he is 21-years-old. Maybe this is a good thing because it doesn’t seem like he is prepared to be a responsible member of the driving class.

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

Teen Driver Accidents

According to a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, teen drivers are approximately 50 percent more likely to crash in the first month of driving than they are after a full year of experience driving on their own, and are nearly twice as likely to crash as they are after two full years of experience.

Analyzing the crashes of new drivers in North Carolina, researchers found that three common mistakes—failure to reduce speed, inattention, and failure to yield – accounted for 57 percent of all crashes in which teens were at least partially responsible during their first month of licensed driving. Additionally, when researchers looked at specific types of crashes in relation to how long the driver had been licensed, they found that some types of crashes occurred at relatively high rates at first and declined particularly quickly with experience.  For example, crashes involving left hand turns were common during the first few months of driving but declined almost immediately.

The high initial rate and subsequent steep decline in certain types of crashes appeared to reflect teens’ initial inexperience followed by rapid learning.  Crash types that decline more slowly appear to result not from lack of understanding, but from failure to master certain driving skills. “We know that young drivers’ crash rates decrease quickly as they gain experience. What our new study tells us is that there are a few specific abilities that we could do a better job of helping teens develop before they begin driving independently,” said AAA Foundation President and CEO Peter Kissinger.

A related AAA Foundation study used in‐vehicle cameras to monitor teens when they were learning to drive with parents, followed by the first 6 months of licensed driving without their parents in the car.  The research found that while teens had their learner’s permits, routine trips on familiar roads under relatively easy driving conditions accounted for the bulk of the time spent behind the wheel.

The study also illustrated changes in teen behavior when a parent is no longer in the car. While the vast majority of driving caught on camera was uneventful, the study did capture a number of close calls due to simple mistakes likely attributable to inexperience, along with a few instances of texting behind the wheel, horseplay with passengers, running red lights, and other potentially distracting or dangerous behaviors.

Among the steps parents can take to improve teens’ safety as they start driving on their own, AAA suggests:

• Practice, practice, practice: Once teens have their actual license, continue to practice together to ensure that basic skills are mastered and to introduce varied driving conditions (snow, heavy traffic, rural roads) with an experienced driver in the passenger seat.

• Keep passengers out: Teen drivers’ crash risks multiply with teenage passengers in the vehicle. Set limits and enforce them consistently.

• Limit night driving: Reduced visibility makes night driving riskier for drivers of all ages. For inexperienced teens, it’s even harder.  Allow new teen drivers to drive at night only if truly necessary or to practice with a parent.

• Keep setting rules: Parents can – and should – set and enforce rules above and beyond their state laws. In addition to night and passenger limits, set rules for inclement weather, highways, cities, or other driving conditions in which a teen has not gained enough experience. Find a parent‐teen driving agreement on TeenDriving.AAA.com that can help.

Keep up with the latest information regarding highway safety by visiting our web site at Phillip Miller & Associates or call 615-356-2000.

Photo courtesy of AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

Educate Your Teen Driver

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group. In 2009, eight teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries. Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash. Fortunately, teen motor vehicle crashes are preventable, and proven strategies can improve the safety of young drivers on the road.

How big is the problem?

In 2009, about 3,000 teens in the United States aged 15–19 were killed and  more than 350,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes.

Young people ages 15-24 represent only 14% of the U.S. population. However, they account for 30% ($19 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28% ($7 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among females.

How can deaths and injuries resulting from crashes involving teen drivers be prevented?

There are proven methods to helping teens become safer drivers. Research suggests that the most comprehensive graduated drivers licensing (GDL) programs are associated with reductions of 38% and 40% in fatal and injury crashes, respectively, among 16-year-old drivers.

In Tennessee our graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems are designed to delay full licensure while allowing teens to get their initial driving experience under low-risk conditions. When parents know their state’s GDL laws, they can help enforce the laws and, in effect, help keep their teen drivers safe.

For more information of GDLs and other highway safety information visit our web site  at Phillip Miller & Associates or call 615-356-2000.

Stop Means Stop

Each year in the United States, an estimated 16,375 children between the ages of 12 and 19 die. Nearly 50 percent die in accidents, with car crashes accounting for more than one-third of all deaths.

Among experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), it is generally agreed that teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group. Per mile, the crash rate for 16 year-old drivers is 10 times the rate for drivers between 30 and 59.

The basic reasons behind this statistic are obvious, teen drivers have no experience with the myriad issues faced by drivers with experience, furthermore, they are immature and often takes risks, most often speeding, and are easily distracted which contribute to the increased death rate.

Traffic investigators will have to determine what caused a 19-year-old Seymour, Tennessee teen driver to totally ignore a stop sign, enter the intersection and attempt a left turn at which time he was T-boned by a driver who had the right of way. Was he distracted? I think he must have been. What caused the distraction should be determined, if for no other reason, then to use as an example to other teens of the dangers of distracted driving.

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

Nashville Teen Driver Hits Police Car

Among experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), it is generally agreed that teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group. Per mile, the crash rate for 16 year-old drivers is 10 times the rate for drivers between 30 and 59.

The basic reasons behind this statistic are obvious, teen drivers have no experience with the myriad issues faced by drivers with experience, furthermore, they are immature and often takes risks, most often speeding, and are easily distracted which contribute to the increased death rate.

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident lawyer I have seen far too many teen deaths and I strongly encourage parents to be realistic about the skills and propensities of their children. It’s a time of excitement and dread for every parent, the time when their precious little Bobby or Betty reaches the age when they can drive. Excitement because their child is growing up and the parents can relinquish to job of being the chauffeur for their busy teens and dread because the know in their heart of hearts the dangers that teen drivers face as they take to the highways and byways.

In addition to laws, safety experts agree that parents play a key role in helping teens become good drivers. Parents should not rely solely on drivers education classes to teach good driving habits and should restrict night driving, restrict the numbers of passengers riding with their teen, supervise practice driving, always require use of seat belts and choose vehicles for safety, not image. Parents can also set a good example by practicing safe driving techniques themselves.

I suspect that the parents of a Nashville teen girl who was out driving past curfew and sideswiped a Nashville Police car, with the officer inside, and then attempted to flee the scene, will have some questions to ask their teen ex-driver, and I’m sure the Metro Police will have some questions for the parents.

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

Teen Driving Education Is The Key

For my money, the political leadership of the City of Chattanooga are the most forward thinking group of men and women in Tennessee. Faced with increasing teen accident statistics the City initiated city-sponsored driver’s education classes for citizens between the ages of 15 and 22.

The city estimated that the classes would attract 25 students per session but since the initiation of the program 18 months ago the number of hopeful students has sky rocketed. As of today all four classes for the summer are filled, as are the fall classes, and this interest has prompted officials to prepare for a series of classes over the Christmas holidays.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group.  The basic reasons behind this statistic are obvious, teen drivers have no experience with the myriad issues faced by drivers with experience, furthermore, they are immature and often takes risks, most often speeding, and are easily distracted which contribute to the increased death rate.

Among experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), it is generally agreed that teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group. Per mile, the crash rate for 16 year-old drivers is 10 times the rate for drivers between 30 and 59.

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

Teen Motorcycle Fatality

Please excuse me if I have been focused on teen drivers, or more specifically, teen driving fatalities lately but this time of year seems to be the beginning of the season of death for our youngsters. I’ve discussed here many times the sad fact that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in this age group.

The basic reasons behind this statistic are obvious, teen drivers have no experience with the myriad issues faced by drivers with experience, furthermore, they are immature and often takes risks, most often speeding, and are easily distracted which contribute to the increased death rate.

Bad decision making processes by teen driver was the main cause of a teen motorcycle fatality in Sevierville Tennessee the other day. According to local media sources, a 19-year-old was riding his motorcycle along Gist Creek Rd. when he made an illegal left turn. Unfortunately for the young man he did this in full view of a police officer, who then turned on his emergency flashers. Rather then pull over immediately the young man crested a hill and when the officer came over the hill he saw that the man had lost control and wrecked.

It appears that the young man’s initial flight response, the product of his inexperience, ended in tragedy. Had he immediately stopped he probably would have gotten a warning, and, at worst, a ticket, but his result was much more permanent. 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 teen driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.