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.

Keep Your Mind On Your Driving

Lately a number of my blogs have discussed drivers who are driving along a Tennessee highway and for some reason become distracted and leave the road. Usually they cross into the oncoming lane and injure or kill another driver or pedestrians, or they hit obstruction on their side of the highway. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. An accident like this can happen so quickly because the vehicle is usually moving at speed.

Today I’d like to reference two accidents that occurred in Tennessee this weekend that point out another type of distracted driver, that driver is one who is stopped at a traffic sign and then pulls out into oncoming traffic. This type of driver has seemingly all the time in the world to look both ways and make an informed judgment as to the proper time to enter the roadway, but yet, they pull out anyway.

The first of these accidents left an Ooltewah woman, Rhonda L. Morgan, 23, dead at the scene the other driver Vernon Norwood, 67, an Illinois resident injured.  According to an article on the website of the Chattanooga Times Free-Press, Ms. Morgan was stopped at an intersection before she pulled out right into the path of Mr. Norwood’s Chevrolet truck. My prayers go out to the family and friends of Ms. Morgan.

The second collision had a somewhat better outcome because no one died. The details are sketchy but from the article on the website of Knoxville TV station WBIR it appears that the driver of a large box truck towing another vehicle pulled out of a private driveway in front of an oncoming pickup truck. The pick up clipped the left rear end of the box truck causing it to flip over.

To start off this discussion, I want to point out that both Ms. Morgan and the driver of the box truck had a duty to yield to oncoming traffic. That duty entails watching and waiting until it was safe to enter the highway. Both of these drivers were obviously distracted by something and failed to yield. Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness.

If you’re driving your vehicle, you are already multitasking. At a minimum you are: operating a piece of heavy machinery; navigating across changing terrain; calculating speeds and distances; and responding to all the other drivers and obstacles around you. Putting one more activity in the mix, even talking to your passengers or changing a radio station, can be enough to make you lose control of your vehicle or fail to respond in an emergency.

The lesson here for Nashville drivers is that you must keep all of your attention on the acting of driving and avoid distractions. You never know when another driver is going to fall asleep, have a medical emergency or get distracted and leave their lane and initiate a deadly collision.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a Tennessee automobile accident involving a distracted driver you owe it to yourself to take advantage of a free consultation and speak with one of the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

Safe Driving Pays Off

At lunch the other day one of my friends posed the question, “What steps can be taken to make me a safe driver?” I’ve been thinking about that question since then and then I read an article on the web site for the AAA Foundation For Traffic Safety which I’d like to share with you. Although nothing can make you 100% safe as you cruise the highways and byways of Tennessee these tips might just save a life.

Tips to Being a Heads Up Driver

1. PLAN AHEAD – Read maps and check traffic conditions before you get on the road.

2. STOW ELECTRONIC DEVICES-  Turn off your phone before you drive so you won’t be tempted to use it while on the road. Pull over to a safe place to talk on the phone or to send and receive text messages or emails.

3. PREPARE KIDS AND PETS FOR THE TRIP-  Get the kids safely buckled in and situated with snacks and entertainment before you start driving. If they need additional attention during the trip, pull off the road safely to care for them. Similarly, prepare and secure pets appropriately in your vehicle before getting underway.

4. SATISFY THAT CRAVING OFF THE ROAD-  Eat meals and snacks before getting behind the wheel, or stop to eat and take a break if driving long-distance.

5. STORE LOOSE GEAR AND POSSESSIONS-  Stash away loose objects that could roll around and take your attention away from driving.

6. GET YOUR VEHICLE ROAD-READY-  Adjust seat positions, climate controls, sound systems and other devices before you leave or while your vehicle is stopped.  Make sure your headlights are spotless so you can see everything on the road and every other driver can see you better. Keep your windshield clean and remove dangling objects that could block your view.

7. DRESS FOR SUCCESS – BEFORE YOU GET IN THE CAR-  Your car isn’t a dressing room.  Brush your hair, shave, put on make-up, and tie your necktie before you leave or once you reach your destination.

8. GET YOUR BRAIN IN THE GAME-  Focus on the task at hand, driving safely. Scan the road, use mirrors and practice identifying orally what you just saw to enhance your engagement as a driver. Really focusing on maintaining your thoughts about the road, when you’re on the road, can help you improve your overall awareness and behavior as a driver, and help you see the importance of ‘being in the game.’

9. EVALUATE YOUR OWN BEHAVIOR FROM THE ‘OTHER’ SIDE OF THE ROAD-  When you’re on the road as a passenger or a pedestrian, take a look around and honestly evaluate whether you engage in poor driving behaviors that worry you when observed in other passengers or pedestrians.

Even if you use all of these suggestions there is no guarantee that something bad won’t happen but if each and every one of us would practice these simple safety principles the fatality rates would decrease quickly. If you have teen age drivers think of the example you are showing them.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Tennessee automobile accident you owe it to yourself to take advantage of a free consultation with an experienced Tennessee accident lawyer from Phillip Miller & Associates.

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.

If you’re driving your vehicle, you are already multitasking. At a minimum you are: operating a piece of heavy machinery at high speed; navigating across changing terrain; calculating speeds and distances; and responding to all the other drivers and obstacles around you. Putting one more activity in the mix, even talking to your passengers or changing a radio station, can be enough to make you lose control of your vehicle or fail to respond in an emergency.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.  Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness.

A  fatal accident in West Tennessee on I-40 this week caught my attention. There are only two possible things that could have caused this accident. It was intentional or the driver that caused the accident was distracted. According to an article on the website of the Jackson Sun a Huntingdon man, Rex Robinson, 47, was killed when he lost control of his vehicle after being hit from behind by a Dodge van driven by Gilbert Soo Hong, 53, of Irving, Texas. My prayers go out to the family and friends of Mr. Robinson.

Let’s picture this, you’re driving along a busy Interstate highway and you run into the back end of the vehicle traveling in front of you. I don’t know Mr. Hong and I can’t imagine a reason why he would intentionally ram Mr. Robinson’s car, so I have to conclude that Mr. Hong was doing something other than pay attention to the task of driving. No matter where we are, on the Interstate or driving in a parking lot, we must remember that we are piloting a deadly weapon and if you allow yourself to be distracted you could very well take the life of another.

Distracted Drivers Kill

If you or a loved one is injured in an Tennessee automobile accident caused by a distracted driver you owe it to yourself to have a free consultation with an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney. Contact Phillip Miller & Associates by telephone at 615-356-2000 or check out our website at www.seriousinjury.com.

Education And Enforcement Reduce Fatalities

An article on Channel 2, WKRN Nashville caught my attention this morning and I’m happy to report the news is positive. Following an interview with a Spokesperson for the Tennessee Highway Patrol Channel 2 reports that Since 2005 Tennessee roadway fatalities have decreased on a consistent basis. According to the article by last October (2008) there had been 805 fatalities on Tennessee roads and this year (2009) there has been a reduction with only 707 fatalities. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not in any way saying that 707 fatalities is a good thing, but a decrease of this size means that someone is doing something right.

I regularly advise my readers that they can do their parts by following the Rules of The Road by not speeding, tailgating, running red lights or any other thing that puts others in jeopardy. THP officials said they attribute the decrease largely in part to people paying more attention to the law. They go on to say that education and enforcement are getting the people’s attention. Recent educational programs by the State include, DUI, aggressive driving and seatbelt enforcement.

The Staff and automobile accident attorney’s at Phillip Miller & Associates encourage everyone who gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle in Tennessee to focus on the fact that you are behind the wheel of a weapon that can take your life and the lives of others and you should act accordingly.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Tennessee automobile accident contact the Nashville car accident lawyers at Philip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/

Rural Roads Are Deadly

As an experienced Nashville car accident attorney I can assure you that high speed, alcohol, a winding 30 mph rural road and add a dash of no seatbelt and the end result is definitely going to add up to a dead driver. According to the Kingsport Times-News that’s just what happened to a Church Hill man injured in a single-vehicle accident Friday evening who died Saturday from the injuries. The article quoted Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Billy Collier as saying “extremely high speed and alcohol were the main contributors to the accident.”

Wesley W. Mabe, 22, was driving under the influence of alcohol at a high rate of speed when he was unable to negotiate and curve in the rural road. According to the Trooper he left the road “struck a tree, a fence and another tree before coming to a final rest.” The Trooper said he was not wearing a seatbelt but that since there was no intrusions on the driver’s side of the car, a seatbelt might well have saved his life.

Rural road safety is a particular concern, because the majority of highway fatalities take place on rural roads. According to the Federal Highway Administration rural roads account for approximately 40 percent of the vehicle miles traveled in the U.S., but almost 57 percent of fatalities, even though just 23% of the US population live in rural areas. According to the latest data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), the fatality rate for rural crashes is more than twice the fatality rate in urban crashes. In 2007, 23,260 people were killed in rural motor vehicle crashes, accounting for 57 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Tennessee automobile accident contact our experienced Tennessee accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies. Don’t try to take on the other persons insurance company on your own.

Driver Distractions Kill

Another mysterious Tennessee one-vehicle wreck takes the life of a 48 year-old woman. The Knoxville News-Sentinel reported that the victim lost control of the car, ran off the road and struck a tree. The media regularly report these types of accidents and people read them and, unless they know the victim, forget about them right away.

In cases like this the police investigating the case report that they don’t know what caused the accident and witnesses, if there are any, simply say that the car just veered from the highway into a ditch or a tree.

To an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney like myself, these are the stories that I think contain the greatest lessons for other drivers. I mean, think of the questions left unanswered; did she suffer a medical emergency, did alcohol play a roll, was she distracted by something such as a cell phone call, a text message, tuning the radio, CD, was she overtired from working or did some other activity cause her to take her eyes off of the road for even just a minute?

Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to a landmark research report released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI).
Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.  Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use, and drowsiness.

I regularly suggest to people I meet with that when they get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle to ask themselves these questions before they start the car. Have I had too much to drink, am I overtired, do I need to use my cell-phone on the way home? If we ask ourselves these questions before we take to the road we might not find ourselves in the newspaper as just another mysterious one-vehicle wreck.

If you are the victim of a Nashville or Tennessee automobile accident we urge you to contact our car accident attorneys today for a free consultation

When The Blue Lights are Blinking Pull Over

While at a social event the other day an old friend and his wife had a disagreement and they asked me to arbitrate. I’ve known them for years and they know that I am an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney. The topic of disagreement was what should a Tennessee driver do when they look in the mirror and the blue lights are blinking. My initial response was simply, “pull over.” But they were asking for more, things like how far should you drive, should you pull to a side street, what if it’s an unmarked car, what do you do, get out of the car or stay in the car. Not wanting to get too deep into this discussion and noticing that our host was placing a large bowl of boiled shrimp on the buffet table, I told them that I would answer all of their questions in my next blog. The shrimp were perfect and the remoulade sauce was to die for.

As I began to think about the questions they asked me it occurred to me that I wasn’t really sure of the answers so I turned to the Tennessee Drivers Study Guide put out by the Tennessee Department of Safety and here’s what I found out. When a police officer lights up the roof of the patrol car two things ought to come to mind; I need to pull over at the first safe opportunity and remember that being a police officer is a dangerous job and when they pull someone over they never know what to expect. Do not let your emotions or sudden unexplained movements (or those of your passengers) raise tensions or anxiety in the situation. A police officer may be more likely to listen to what you have to say and less likely to feel threatened by you (or your passengers) if you follow these guidelines:

Drive as closely as is safely practical to the right-hand edge or curb of the road, clear of any intersection, stop and park. Limit the movements of the driver and/or passengers while stopping your vehicle. Drivers should open their window and keep their hands on the steering wheel and passengers should keep their hands in plain view. Provide your driver license and/or vehicle registration when requested and if you have a handgun permit and you are armed advise the officer as soon as you provide your license and registration.

Keep all vehicle doors closed and remain in the vehicle unless asked to get out. If asked to exit the car do so and follow each instruction the officer gives you. In due time the officer will tell you why you have been stopped so hold off on the questions until spoken to by the officer. My personal advice is to say yes sir and no sir, yes ma’am and no ma’am. If the stop is made after dark, turn on the vehicle’s interior light before the officer approaches If enforcement action is taken against you that you disagree with, do not argue with the officer at the scene. Traffic violations and traffic crimes charged against you are decided in court not on the roadside.

If you find yourself being directed to pull over and stop by someone in an UNMARKED police car, you may drive slowly a short distance to the nearest area where there are other people, such as the next business parking lot or the next exit, if on the interstate. This may be important if traveling at night and/or alone.

Using a little clear thinking can make an experience like this a positive one, ignore this advise and argue and resist and then report to me the results. The key thing here is safety, yours and the officers. Get over as far as you can to avoid the oncoming traffic.  If you have any questions about the Rules of the Road go to the Department of Safety website and check out the Tennessee Drivers Study Guide. If you have children who are getting close to driving age or if your kids need a refresher in the Rule of the Road, go over it with them. And, as always, if you or a loved one is injured in an Tennessee automobile accident contact our experienced car accident lawyers to find out about your rights and remedies.