Dangerous Times To Be on the Road

Traveling late at night on a Friday or Saturday evening comes with risks, especially when the weekend falls on a holiday. Saturday appears to be the most dangerous day of the week to drive. People like to travel when on their days off, and many like to have fun. Some drivers may take to the road impaired since they could enjoy alcohol before traveling. Hence, those weekends may present added dangers.

However, after-work commuting times might present the most dangerous times to travel during the week. From 5 pm to 7 pm, the roads become crowded with commuters looking to get home. The higher volume of drivers, combined with a percentage of those in a rush, could create dangers.

Safety Concerns for Drivers

Dangers may increase significantly during the summer, with July being an exceptionally worrisome month. Summer means vacationers and partying, two things that don’t always add up to increased safety. Vacation areas may experience even greater risks and dangers, as vacationers unfamiliar with the local routes could commit moving violations and other hazards.

Motor vehicle crashes might prove unavoidable even when someone takes steps to drive defensively. Avoiding dangerous drive times helps cut down on risks.

Statistics

It can be difficult to measure statistics on the number of crashes caused by alcohol compared to drowsy driving since the former is easier to measure than the latter. While drowsy driving is underreported, some experts estimate that it can account for as many as 21% of deadly motor vehicle accidents compared to 30% for drunk driving.

Effects of Fatigue

If you are driving while fatigued, your reaction time, judgment and problem-solving skills can be impaired just as they would be if you had been drinking. This increases over time without sleep, with people who are awake for 20 hours showing an impairment similar to that of individuals whose blood alcohol content is at or above the legal limit. However, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that these extremes are not necessary to create a danger. For example, after sleeping just six to seven hours a night, people have double the risk of being involved in a crash. Fewer than five hours of sleep raises the risk even higher.

Avoiding Drowsy Driving

Surveys have found that around half of all drivers in the United States say they have driven while sleepy, and 20% say they have fallen asleep driving. Drivers should watch for signs they are becoming too tired, such as drifting in lanes and problems focusing.

Taking drowsy driving more seriously can provide significant safety benefits for drivers, their passengers and other individuals on or near the road, including pedestrians. This could mean a substantial drop in the number of injuries and fatalities caused by motor vehicle accidents each year.

The difference between whiplash and neck sprain

Whiplash injuries are typically directly focused on the neck area. The result can be difficulty turning the head and pain due to damage in the neck area, including nerve and cartilage damage. These are common injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents. Serious whiplash injuries can pull tendons and muscles deep in the upper chest and shoulder regions without necessarily resulting in damage to the rotator cuff. The injuries can indeed have a direct correlation, but whiplash concerns the symptoms around the spinal cord.

Potential remedies for whiplash

One of the first remedies for whiplash injury is applying an ice pack to the primary area of pain along the neck area of the spine for the first couple of days. Heat therapy should be used later even if pain is not persistent. Diagnostic tests can include not only X-rays of the neck area but also a CT scan, which could reveal an injury when headaches are occurring.   If pain persists you should see your primary care provider or a chiropractor.

How personal injury attorneys may help

Cases of whiplash are common injuries familiar to personal injury attorneys who deal with motor vehicle accident cases. An attorney may explain the connection between neck pain and other symptoms and help clients understand how neck pain can be the result of a whiplash injury. This may be relevant when maximizing compensation claims.

Smart Steps for Cycling Safely

Expectations exist for motor vehicle operators to follow the rules of the road. Many rules could apply to bicyclists as well. Someone who speeds on a bike might increase the chances of an accident. Going too fast near vehicles, pedestrians, and other cyclists undermines safety. When someone goes too fast, little time exists to avoid objects and other cyclists.

A bike lane exists for a reason. Cyclists may benefit from remaining in the lane and not veering out of it into congested traffic. “Tailgating” other cyclists creates the risk of a potential rear collision. Weaving in and out of the bike lane to pass others might be reckless. Moving onto the sidewalk at a fast rate of speed to pass adds to the recklessness.

Operating a bicycle while intoxicated might lead to self-harm and, possibly, harm to others. Riding a bicycle while inebriated is against the law in North Carolina.

Causing Injuries When Cycling

Bicyclists who cause injuries to others may be liable for damages. Knocking someone off a bike and causing a severe injury might open doors to legal jeopardy.

Wearing proper safety equipment when bicycling could reduce the chances of injuries. However, the safety equipment might not prevent an injury when hit by a negligent cyclist.

Bicyclists may benefit from safer practices when taking to the road. Persons involved in bicycle accidents may follow similar steps to motor vehicle accidents. Injured persons may contact an attorney to discuss taking legal action.

How Can Drivers Avoid Getting Into Truck Accidents?

Most people know that they shouldn’t text and drive. However, distracted driving isn’t just about texting – it involves anything that distracts you from the highway. This can include eating and drinking, talking to a passenger, yelling at your kids in the backseat, looking at a map, or doing anything else that distracts you from the road. You might only glance away for a second, but a second is all it takes. Thousands of people die in motor vehicle accidents each year because they engaged in distracted driving.

Impaired driving is also a major cause of truck accidents. This includes obvious issues like drunk driving, but it also involves driving under the influence of drugs or driving while fatigued. It can also involve driving while you’re ill or dealing with medication side effects. If you’re experiencing anything that can impair your judgment on the highway, you shouldn’t get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Who Can Help You After a Truck Accident?

Truck accidents are often fatal for the person in the passenger vehicle. Luckily, you survived–but now you have to deal with the medical bills and emotional trauma. An attorney might be able to help you contact the trucking company’s insurance company and file a claim. Counsel might also help you file a lawsuit if the claim is denied.

There are about 16,400 car accidents in America every day. In those accidents, about 7,000 people are hurt, and about 100 will die. For people who survive, the road to recovery can be a long one.

The rehabilitation process from a motor vehicle accident will depend on the location and severity of the injury. Collarbone accidents are common in collisions because collarbones press against over-the-shoulder seat belts. Sometimes, a brace is used to hold the collarbone in place, but it typically repairs itself. Healing can take anywhere from one to four months.

Traumatic brain injuries are more serious. A concussion occurs when the brain hits the hard skull. This can result in bruising, bleeding and damage to axons, which are a part of nerve cells. Mild concussions may resolve themselves in a few weeks. Bleeding in the skull may require surgery to be resolved. Repeated or severe concussions can have long-lasting effects like headaches, depression and emotional dysregulation.

People who’ve been injured in motor vehicle accidents should always go to the hospital to receive treatment. This way, they can get an accurate assessment of their injuries and start the recovery process. They may also want to contact a lawyer. Insurance company lawyers represent the company’s interests, not the interests of car crash victims. An experienced attorney may advocate to make sure their clients get the damages they’re entitled to.

The Dangers of Multitasking

Most people would agree that actions like putting on makeup or shaving while driving are not the safest practices, but they might be surprised at other activities that are also dangerous. Examples of multitasking that can take your attention off the road include:

• Talking on the phone
• Dealing with small children in the car
• Eating your breakfast or drinking a soft drink or coffee
• Putting information in a GPS
• Adjusting your music

The Biggest Offenders

It is impossible to eliminate all distractions, but you can do your best to reduce them and be aware of what actions could be distracting. On the other hand, there are three big dangers that you can avoid: texting, talking on the phone and driving under the influence. Only the first and last of these are illegal, but just because something is legal does not mean it is safe.

Even hands-free cellphones can create a distraction because it still takes your attention elsewhere instead of focusing on what is happening in front of you. If you are in a car accident and are injured because another driver was drunk, texting or otherwise distracted, you may be owed compensation that could cover your medical costs and other expenses. You may want to contact an attorney because there could be complications that arise. Some injuries, such as traumatic brain injury and whiplash, might not show symptoms until several days after the accident. The driver’s insurance company may be reluctant to pay full compensation, or the driver might be uninsured.

One thing to know is that the number of pedestrian accidents on America’s roads is far from going down. On the contrary, it has been consistently increasing since 2009. The year 2019 was no different.

GHSA on Pedestrian Deaths in 2019

Though the 2019 data is still incomplete, the Governors Highway Safety Administration was able to take it and estimate that there were 6,590 pedestrians who died that year. This number is 5% higher than it was in 2018. Moreover, it represents a 60% jump from 2009 and the highest total since 1988.

Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona and California accounted for 47% of these fatalities. Incidentally, these five states together make up 33% of the U.S. population. As for those states with the highest pedestrian fatality rate, they were Florida, New Mexico and Hawaii. The lowest were in Vermont, Wisconsin and Idaho.

More SUVs and Drivers Who Use Their Phones

All other traffic deaths, according to the GHSA, saw a 2% increase between 2009 and 2019. There’s obviously more than one reason for this trend in pedestrian fatalities, and the GHSA report gives several.

One is that more and more of the new vehicles that are being purchased (69% in 2019 as opposed to 48% in 2009) are light trucks, especially SUVs. These vehicles are especially deadly in pedestrian accidents. Another factor is the greater number of drivers who feel that it’s fine to use their phone behind the wheel.

A Lawyer to Help You Through Tough Times

Personal injury claims arising out of pedestrian accidents can be hard to argue alone, so victims may want legal representation. A lawyer may give you the personal attention you need for your case while you focus on coping with your injuries. The lawyer may negotiate for a settlement covering all legitimate losses like medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Adaptive cruise control is able to accelerate and decelerate for drivers to maintain a safe following distance while lane-keeping assist tugs at the steering wheel whenever it senses the vehicle veering out of its lane. It seems that an inherent risk in these features is that they cause drivers to become complacent behind the wheel and thus more prone to distraction.

In fact, the study found that drivers who use these features are twice as likely to become distracted. Those less familiar with the features are not as likely to drive distracted. Researchers are calling on automakers to better educate their customers about the limitations of these features and other safety tech. The systems can only assist drivers; they cannot make sophisticated decisions in their place.

For the study, researchers surveyed vehicles like the Tesla Model S, Acura MDX, Ford Fusion and Jeep Cherokee. Cameras captured the behavior of the drivers, and the footage was assessed by researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

Distracted driving can be hard for the victims of motor vehicle accidents to prove about the other side, which is why if they intend to file a personal injury claim, they may want legal representation. A lawyer might bring in third parties to obtain the police report, investigate the crash and more. The lawyer may then strive for a reasonable settlement out of court. If the defendant’s auto insurance company does not wish to settle, then victims may consider litigation.

A side underride type of accident often occurs at an intersection, perhaps when either a passenger car operator or a trucker runs a red light. A motorist’s car can get stuck quite far under a trailer if it’s traveling at a high rate of speed.

Injuries resulting from these types of crashes are often catastrophic. It’s not uncommon for the roof of a low-profile passenger car to be sheared off in such collisions. If this happens, then the car’s occupants may suffer severe head, neck or other life-threatening injuries.

Rear-end underride crashes often occur at intersections when motorists are preparing to stop at a red light. They can also happen if a trucker makes an unexpected stop while turning or when allowing traffic to pass.

These types of incidents can also result in debilitating injuries for the motorist. The wheels of the truck often stop a car from traveling too far under the truck though. Even still, the impact of such a crash can leave a car with front end damage, and a motorist seriously hurt.

Underride crashes, fortunately, don’t happen all too frequently. They’re often catastrophic when they do though. If you’ve been injured in one of these crashes, then it’s likely that you have amassed significant medical bills. An attorney in Goldsboro can advise you of different approaches that can be used to recover compensation in crash cases like this in North Carolina.

Truck drivers are different from your average motorists riding down the road. In addition to a standard driver’s license, they also have a commercial one. The training that they must complete to qualify for the latter is rigorous.

Anyone who operates a commercial vehicle must prove that they’ve mastered how to operate a vehicle as large as an 18-wheeler, successfully pass a medical exam and adhere to state and federal safety guidelines and laws. Many accidents happen because a trucker fails to meet one of these obligations.

All truckers and truck owners are supposed to perform regular maintenance on their tractor-trailer or fleet. They’re trained to inspect their tires and other important safety systems before taking their trucks out on the open road. If a trucker fails to do this, then they can cause a crash.

Although they undergo advanced training on how to best operate a vehicle as large as a truck, truckers are still humans. Their reckless driving may result in unnecessary crashes. Truck drivers are commonly involved in accidents are because they fail to give themselves enough time to brake, or they operate their truck at too fast of a speed for the conditions. They also have crashes because they have poor visibility. Many fail to account for their blind spots when changing lanes.

Crashes between trucks and automobiles are often catastrophic. Motorists who are lucky enough to survive these incidents are often left with debilitating injuries. Fortunately, the North Carolina legal system allows for injured motorists to file lawsuits against negligent motorists who cause their injuries. An attorney can guide you in filing suit if you’ve been hurt in a crash in Goldsboro.

When you spend time outside on the hottest days during the summer, you likely start to feel lightheaded and dehydrated. Having a bottle of water on hand that you can take sips from and the air conditioning on can help keep you feeling hydrated and clear-headed.

It’s important that you take care of your car though, as well. You should keep a close eye on your car’s temperature gauge. If you don’t, then it may become overheated. You may need to pull over on the side of the road to avoid breaking down in traffic.

The air inside of your tires tends to expand when it’s hot outside. If your tires are worn, then this can cause a blowout. This is why you should be careful to inspect your tires. It’s especially important that you do this on the hottest days of the year.

You should also be on the lookout for travelers and teens on the road during the summer. Teenagers who are out of school tend to drive around a lot more. They’re relatively inexperienced drivers. They tend not to drive as cautiously as they should. Vacationers often don’t know their way around and thus drive more recklessly as well. This all results in crashes.

Construction work is also most apt to be carried out during this time of the year because there are fewer weather obstacles. If you fail to reduce your speed in construction zones, then you may also end up involved in an accident.

The increased risk for car problems and an uptick in the number of motorists out on the street make driving in the summer dangerous. It’s no wonder that there are so many serious crashes at this time of the year. If you’ve been hurt while traveling around Goldsboro, an attorney can advise you of your right to compensation for your injuries.

Instead, your friend spends their time scolding the children, solving arguments, handing out snacks, picking up items that the kids drop and turning around to talk to them. (And that doesn’t even count the time when they tried to set up an iPad at a red light so that the kids could watch a movie!)

It’s clear to you that children are a serious distraction in the car, but just how bad is it, really? Fortunately, researchers have come across this same issue and studied it. What they found is that operating a motor vehicle with children along for the ride is up to 12 times as distracting as using your phone behind the wheel.

Think about that for a moment. With all of the talk about the dangers of texting and driving — which is warranted — it’s still more dangerous just to be a parent with kids in the car. Twelve times more dangerous.

It appears that the worry and fear you felt while riding with your friend were not so far-fetched. You really were in danger, along with all of the other drivers who had to share the road with your friend’s vehicle.

While you may not get distracted like this, not having kids yourself, it’s still important to understand the risks you face from others on the road. If a distracted driver causes an accident and injures you, then you may be able to seek financial compensation for your injuries.

A Toyota was northbound when he struck the man in the wheelchair, a pedestrian who was simply going about his day. After the man was hit and was lying unresponsive in the road, the driver of the Toyota moved his car to the left lane, stopping it there. It was then hit from behind by a Dodge Magnum.

The drivers of both cars in the motor vehicle accident were uninjured. Neither had passengers, and both drivers stayed at the scene to be interviewed by the officers there. According to a police spokesperson, the accident was not caused by speeding, and neither driver was impaired at the time of the accident.

The police say that, just to be sure that all the facts are in place, the man who was in the wheelchair has been tested to see if alcohol or any other intoxicant affected him at the time of the accident. It is uncertain as to whether he was stationary or in the process of crossing the road when he was hit. It is known, however, that he was not crossing in the crosswalk. His identity has not been released publicly because the coroner wants to make sure that his next of kin were notified first.

The crash remains under investigation. It serves as a reminder to everyone to take great care when crossing roads and to watch for pedestrians at all times.