Follow the Law

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney, I advise all smugglers, drug dealers, counterfeiters and other thugs and ner-do-wells who use the highways and byways of Tennessee, that if you are going to ply your illegal trade it might be a good idea to follow all of the rules of the road. Don’t speed, use turn signals, make sure your lights and other equipment are in proper working order.

If you don’t you will end up like a couple of people in one or more of the categories I mentioned above, in jail and facing a laundry list of serious felonies. Metro Nashville police officers from the Aggressive Driving Unit, witnessed a 2003 Cadillac CTS approach the split between I-40 and I-65 in south Nashville.

Without warning the Cadillac cut across all the lanes of traffic, wasn’t using it’s turn signal and nearly side swiped another vehicle and almost wrecked. When police stopped the car they found $14,600 in counterfeit $100 bills, a half-pound of marijuana, crystal methamphetamine, morphine and ecstasy pills as well as a money counting machine.

The two Nashville men refused to allow police to search their vehicle but a K-9 called to the scene alerted for drugs. The men are in jail and the counterfeiting case has been turned over to the Federal ATF unit. This situation adds new meaning to the idea of safe driving. But, as Forrest Gump’s Momma used to say, “Stupid is as stupid does.”

For these and other Tennessee highway safety tips visit the website of Phillip Miller & Associates and find out what you need to know about safe driving on the highways of Tennessee. Call 615-356-2000

As an experienced Nashville automobile accident attorney, I know from experience that Halloween is a time of the year that drivers should exercise due care as they travel the highways and byways of Tennessee. Help protect trick-or-treaters by following some driving safety tips on Halloween, or on the night your community hosts Halloween activities.

Be especially careful between 4 and 8 p.m., when most severe vehicle/young pedestrian collisions happen. Drive slowly, and don’t pass stopped vehicles. The driver might be dropping off children.

Park your cell phone. Avoid distractions by waiting until you’ve stopped to call, text, or surf. For more mobile phone safety tips check out my website at www.seriousinjury.com.

Watch for children darting into the street. Kids can cross the street anywhere, and most young pedestrian deaths happen at spots other than intersections.

Yield to young pedestrians. Children might not stop, either because they don’t see your vehicle approaching or don’t know how to safely cross the street.

Communicate with other drivers. Always use your turn signals. And if you have to pull over to drop off or pick up your kids, turn on your hazard lights.

And, to keep your own trick-or-treaters safe:

Teach them how to safely cross streets. They should look both ways and cross only at corners and crosswalks.

Consider indoor community Halloween programs for younger kids. Some communities also offer to help you inspect your kids’ treats to make sure they’re safe to eat. Brighten them up. Give them flashlights and glow sticks, and/or use reflective tape on their costumes, so drivers can see them.

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

Intersection Safety Saves Lives

If you ask most people to define an intersection they will tell you it’s a place where two or more roads or streets come together. In reality, it’s far more complicated than that. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration an intersection is a planned point of conflict in the roadway system. With different crossing and entering movements by both drivers and pedestrians, an intersection is one of the most complex traffic situations that motorists encounter.

Dangers are compounded when we add the element of speeding motorists who disregard traffic controls. Despite improved intersection design and more sophisticated applications of traffic engineering measures, the annual toll of human loss due to motor vehicle crashes has not substantially changed in more than 25 years. In 2008, there were 37,261 fatalities on our Nation’s roadways. Of these, 7,772 (20.8% of total fatalities) were intersection or intersection related.

The rules in Tennessee for intersections include issues such as the right-of-way, pedestrians, right turns, left turns and turn signals. Intersections include:

• Cross streets,

• Side streets,

• Driveways,

• Shopping center or parking lot entrances.

If you have read my blog in the past you know that I often refer to the concept of “traffic checks” which is the practice of looking frequently and carefully for vehicle traffic approaching from each direction. “Traffic checks” are especially important when merging or changing lanes and when approaching and crossing intersections. Below are five things to remember to navigate an intersection safely:

1. Look both ways as you near an intersection. Before you enter an intersection, continue checking traffic from both the left and right for approaching vehicles and/or crossing pedestrians. Look first to the left to make sure cross traffic is yielding the right-of-way. Then look for traffic from the right. If stopped, look both left and right just before you start moving. Look across the intersection before you start to move to make sure the path is clear through the intersection.

2. Watch your speed and be prepared to brake or stop unexpectedly at intersections if your traffic checks alert you to a possible hazard. You should slow down before reaching the intersection, drive at your slowest speed just before entering the intersection and gradually increase your speed as you cross the intersection.

3. You should be in the proper lane for the direction you intend to travel before you reach the intersection. Do not make last minute lane changes as you start through an intersection. Do not pass a vehicle in an intersection.

4. Do not move into an intersection and block it after the traffic lights have changed. This is not only common sense, but it’s also illegal to block an intersection after the light has changed.

As an experienced Tennessee automobile accident attorney I often recommend to my clients and blog readers to make the effort to contact the Department of Safety and review the Rules of the Road. If you or a loved one is injured in an intersection automobile accident, call our experienced Nashville accident attorneys and find out about your rights and remedies.