Teach Your Children Well

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I regularly use my Blog “The Tennessee Auto Accident Attorney” to remind parents that ultimately it is their responsibility to oversee their teenagers driver training. Parental training isn’t only a couple of weekends in a vacant parking lot, or simply writing a check to a driver education company, parental training begins when your children are small. A good example, is a parent who uses seatbelts, drives the speed limit, yields to other drivers, is the most effective and lasting way to insure that your child will grow into a culture of safety.

On the other hand, a parent can assure that his/her child will grow up with utter disregard for others on the highways and byways. Reference an article on the website of the Kingsport Times-News about a young man drag racing in a hopped up Mustang with a man in a Corvette. The race went wrong when the young man in the Mustang lost control, went airborne, and rolled through a busy parking lot striking and damaging several vehicles. Through the grace of God no one was killed.

The Corvette driver fled the scene, but the irony is that the Corvette belonged to the Mustang boys father. Police believe the father and son were drag racing. Back to what I was saying earlier about parental guidance and good examples, what kind of parent flees the scene of a violent accident involving their child. This parent is definitely a candidate for the “Worst Tennessee Driver of 2010”.

If you, a family member, or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident by a driver like either one of these two bozos you owe it to yourself to contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Teen Driver Drag Racing No Seat Belt

Chattanooga police suspect that two of the three vehicles involved in a Tennessee personal injury collision were drag racing at the time of the incident. One vehicle driven by 19-year-old William Furmon left the scene. The driver of the other vehicle police think was involved in the drag race was ejected from his vehicle after he was hit by a third vehicle. Obviously he was not wearing his seat belt. Where do I start?

Seat Belts

Seat belt use is required under Tennessee law. Research published by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that unbelted victims are at much higher risk for ejection than those with seatbelts. The actual data shows that more than 15,000 lives were saved by the use of seatbelts in 2007 alone. When the driver and passengers in a Tennessee car accident do not use their seatbelts, they are 17.7 times more likely to be ejected during a crash. Only 2% of belted passengers were ejected during a crash.

Teen Drivers

According to The Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 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 2005, twelve teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries.

The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash. In 2005, the motor vehicle death rate for male drivers and passengers ages 16 to 19 was more than one and a half times that of their female counterparts.

How do we change this culture of highway safety ignorance and change to way young people think when they get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle? As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney, I have discussed this question with a number of Tennessee highway safety professionals on a regular basis. The answer is education and enforcement. Educate these children (The Anvil) about the danger their unsafe driving poses, not only to themselves, but to others and enforce (The Hammer) the safety laws in a strict and swift manner.

If you are the victim of a Nashville or Tennessee automobile accident we urge you to contact our Tennessee car accident attorneys today for a free consultation. When you hire an auto accident attorney from Phillip Miller & Associates, you’re getting a qualified and dedicated lawyer. Details about our attorneys and staff can be found by viewing our website at www.seriousinjury.com where you can get to know the men and women who will be looking out for your best interest.

Teach Teen Driving Safety

Over the last several Blogs at “The Tennessee Auto Accident Attorney” we have talked about younger drivers and the hazards they face as the travel the highways and byways of Tennessee. As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney, I regularly speak to parents of teen drivers, and on every occasion I remind them that simply telling their children to act in a safe manner when they are behind the wheel won’t be much help to them, it is the duty of the parents to teach them by example.

I also share some sobering statistics. In Tennessee and across the nation traffic crashes are the leading cause of teen fatalities, accounting for 38% of all teen deaths. In 2008, about 3,500 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.

Most Americans typically learn to drive during the teen years, when the brain is not fully mature yet. Recent research is beginning to give us insight why many teens have difficulty regulating risk-taking behavior:

* The area of the brain that weighs consequences, suppresses impulses and organizes thoughts does not fully mature until about age 25.

* Hormones are more active in teens, which influence the brain’s neuro-chemicals that regulate excitability and mood. The result can be thrill-seeking behavior and experiences that create intense feelings.

Chances are, your community has been struck by a tragic accident involving a teenage friend, classmate or family member. Tennessee parents have an excellent resource available at the website of the National Safety Council. Check out http://teendriver.nsc.org/ for helpful tips and suggested study materials.

My experience investigating and trying Tennessee teen driver accident cases tells me that it is never too early to start training your child for the day he or she gets behind the wheel and you watch them drive off into the real world.

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

Teen Driver Choices

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 2008, about 3,500 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.

Reference a recent Tennessee automobile crash in Dickson County. A Tennessee teen driver of a 1992 Mazda Miata was speeding when it skidded off of a two-lane rural road. It appears that the driver lost control, went into a side way skid, left the roadway and then struck a tree, at which point it exploded or caught on fire. One of the victims was not wearing his seat belt and was thrown from the car and killed. Information about the other was not available at the time of the article. My prayers go out to the families and friends of these two teens who perished in a totally avoidable crash.

Seat belts and child safety seats help prevent injury five different ways, by:

1. Preventing ejection: Ejection greatly increases the chance of death or serious injury.  The chance of being killed in a crash by being ejected from a vehicle is one in eight.  Safety belts virtually eliminate ejection.  The belted driver stays inside the car and is better protected from injury.

2. Shifting crash forces to the strongest parts of the body’s structure.  To get the most benefit from a seat belt, be aware of the following points:

• The lap belt should be worn low over the pelvis with the bottom edge touching the tops of the thighs snugly.

• The shoulder belt should be worn over the shoulder and across the chest, not under the arm and over the abdomen.  Make certain that the shoulder belt is not worn so loosely that it slides off the shoulder.

• Pregnant women should wear the lap belt below the abdomen and the shoulder belt above the belly.

3. Spreading crash forces overa wide area of the body.  Safety belts reduce the possibility of injury from “hostile” surfaces inside the car (steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, controls, etc.).  Even if the belted driver collides with some of these surfaces, it happens with much less force and often results in less serious injury.

4. Keeping the body more closely in the “properdriving posture.” The belt keeps the driver “in the driver’s seat.”  The belted driver is better able to deal with emergencies and often avoids more serious trouble.

5. Protecting the head and spinal cord. The belted driver is less likely to be stunned or made unconscious by the crash and is better able to cope with the situation. Research has found that proper use of lap/shoulder belts reduces 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 (for occupants of light trucks, 60 percent and 65 percent respectively)

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile crash casused by a teen driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates for a free consultation.

Keep The Pressure On

In my Blog, The Tennessee Auto Accident Attorney, I’ve been pleased to share the good news about the reduction of Tennessee highway traffic fatalities in 2009. Preliminary figures indicate the number of traffic fatalities on Tennessee roadways declined sharply again in 2009. The Tennessee Department of Safety (TDOS) and the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) are dedicated to continuing that trend in 2010. This year, the Tennessee Highway Patrol will once again participate in several enforcement initiatives aimed at saving lives.

Commercial Drivers

Troopers will participate in a campaign entitled, Operation “Speeding Trucks And Negligent Drivers”. The (S.T.A.N.D.) campaign will focus on commercial motor vehicles with emphasis being placed on commercial drivers who speed, drive recklessly, follow too closely, and change lanes improperly. Approximately 4,000 hours have been dedicated to this campaign through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Young Drivers

Statistical data also reveals that a disproportionally large number of “under 21” drivers are involved in fatal crashes.  Alcohol presence and the lack of safety belt use are also indicated in many of these crashes. For this reason, the Tennessee Highway Patrol is participating, once again, in the Strike Three Program to target young drivers who fail to wear safety belts and/or drink and drive. Funding from the GHSO will allow Troopers to work an additional 4,100 hours on this program.

Construction and Work Zones

The Construction Accident Reduction (C.A.R.) program targets drivers who violate traffic laws while traveling through Tennessee highway construction and work zones when road workers are present. Funding from the GHSO will permit Troopers to work an additional 4,300 Hours in construction and maintenance zones throughout the state.

As an experienced Nashville accident attorney I want to enlist you in this grand effort on behalf of the Bredesen Administration to make Tennessee highways safe for everyone. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident you owe it to your family to contact the experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about yor rights and remedies.

Teen Drivers Need Guidance

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.

Reference an article on the website of Nashville TV station WKRN reporting a tragic fatal Tennessee automobile accident in Summertown, Tennessee. The driver, a 17-year-old girl turned her vehicle directly into an oncoming car which T-boned the vehicle causing the death of her 13-year-old sister a passenger. The other driver was uninjured.

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.

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.

GDLs Pay Off

A recent AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study shows communities with nighttime and passenger restrictions for teen drivers have 20 percent lower death and injury crash rate for 16-year old drivers. Fatality and injury crash rates for 16-year-old drivers were 20 percent lower in a state with nighttime and passenger restrictions than in a comparison jurisdiction that lacked these building blocks of safer teen driving, according to a study released today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

In addition, the study also showed that twice as many crash-free teens reported never having violated their state’s passenger restriction provision compared to teens that had crashed. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers, and government data show that 16-year-olds are involved in more than five times as many fatal crashes per mile driven as are adults in their 30s, 40s, or 50s.

The significant differences between crash-free and crash-involved teen drivers were: overall compliance with provisions found in state graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws, adherence to traffic laws and regulations, and parental involvement. “Teens who obey traffic rules and regulations, follow GDL regulations, and have actively involved parents are much less likely to crash,” said J. Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.  “Just think how many lives could be saved with the combination of the right laws and parental involvement.”

The study found that compliance with passenger restrictions was especially problematic, and teens involved in crashes reported more frequent violations when compared to crash-free teens.  For example, 30 percent of crash-free teens, but only 16 percent of crash-involved teens, reported never violating their jurisdiction’s passenger restriction during their first six months of the intermediate stage of GDL. Nearly half of crash-involved teens reported violating the passenger restriction “more than a few times.”

In Tennessee drivers under 18 years old are required to go through graduated steps of driving experience to gain full, unrestricted Driver License status.  The graduated Driver License steps are designed to incrementally teach young drivers how to drive by requiring minimum levels of driving experience and a safe driving history record before allowing teenage drivers to receive a “full-fledged” Class D driver license.  Motor vehicle crashes are the major cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 20. By requiring more supervised practice, the State of Tennessee hopes to save lives and prevent tragic injuries.

In Tennessee there are four steps to becoming a full, unrestricted Driver License holder:

1. Learner Permit

2. Intermediate Restricted License

3. Intermediate Unrestricted License

4. Regular Driver

The AAA Foundation offers an interactive and engaging DVD for teens called Driver-ZED™, which puts users through 100 driving scenarios allowing them to experience conditions it could take several years to encounter on the road. Also included is supplemental information to aid parents in the process. Visit www.driverzed.org to learn more or contact your local AAA club.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Nashville automobile accident that is the fault of a teen driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies.

Drowsy Teen Driver

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.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 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. There was also a substantial decrease in the fatal crash involvement of adult drivers over the same period; however, the decrease in the fatal crash involvement of young drivers and people killed in those crashes was significantly larger than what would have been predicted from the decrease in the fatal crash involvement of adults.

Parents worry about speeding, distractions by cell phone or texting, drugs and alcohol and just the inexperience of life behind the wheel. Well, The National Sleep Foundation has raised another issue for parents to consider. On a recent episode, the Today Show reported on the problem of drowsy teen drivers.

According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2006 Sleep in America poll, 51 percent of all adolescents who drive reported that they had driven drowsy at least once in the past year. Among those adolescents, 5 percent had nodded off or fallen asleep while driving in the past year, and 27 percent of those respondents had an accident or near accident due to drowsiness while driving. The Today Show segment notes that fatigue is a factor in about 100,000 crashes every year, most involving young drivers. National Sleep Foundation Chairman Thomas J. Balkin, PhD, told the Today Show, “In many ways, driving drowsy is very much like driving drunk.” According to Balkin, drowsiness — like alcohol — can severely impair a driver’s reflexes, judgment and awareness.

The good news about the reduction in teen fatalities is the result of graduated drivers licenses,Parental guidance is essential educational and public service programs. to getting the message across to our teens and this information regarding drowsy driving should now become part and parcel of that guidance.

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

Tags: drowsy driving, fatigue, sleep

Teach Teen Driving Safety

A couple of recent articles about teen driving caught my attention and I thought I might use this opportunity to share some tragic facts about teen fatalities. The first story was at the website of Volunteer TV WVLT in Knoxville. Three teen drivers in a car, lost control,  left the road and crashed into a tree. According to police reports all three of the teens are going to recover even though a young girl was trapped in the vehicle for over an hour. The second story in the Johnson City Press involved an underage teen girl, 15, who was driving a car when she lost control and hit a ditch and came to a stop against a culvert.

Although the facts at slim in both reports, there can only be a couple of reasons for these crashes. I suspect that speed, inexperience and driver distraction created a potentially fatal mix.

According to the Center for Injury Research and Prevention young drivers ages 16-20 years are at a disproportionately high risk for both fatal and non-fatal crashes, with the highest per capita and per-mile-driven crash rate of any age group. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teen deaths, accounting for 44% of teen fatalities in the U.S. If these crash fatalities continue without intervention, 100,000 adolescents and young adults will die in young driver crashes (drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 years) in the U.S. over the next 10 years.

It’s up to us to teach our teens that when you are operating a motor vehicle it’s time to put away the ways of children and take on the role of adults. See that you oversee the driving education of your children, teach by example, drive like you want your teens to drive. Practice safety, courtesy and good sense when you are behind the wheel, don’t text or talk on your cell phone. When you see a teen drivers acting the fool, call 911 or *847 for the Highway Patrol.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident involving a teen driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and take advantage of our free consultation to get an understanding of 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.