Archive for the ‘Safety Regulations’ Category
Texting while driving poses threats to teens in Tennessee
October 18th, 2010 | 
Author: Texting while driving poses a huge risk to teenage drives in the Tennessee area. Are the teenagers in the area getting the message they need to be safe? A public service announcement that was filmed in hopes that some teens would get the message they all need. The psa is very graphic, but to the point. To watch the video, click here, Texting While Driving Public Service Announcement.
Some say that the video is much too graphic to be shown to teenagers around the world, but I believe it can not only help the vision teens have, but change their way of driving. Statistics show that teen drivers in Tennessee are 60% more likely to cause an accident when they are texting, or have other distractions. And texting is the number one distraction on the road. Please go here to learn more about distractions on the road.
1-800-377-HURT (4878)
Clarksville Car Spinning Tires Crashes into Home on Vanleer Street
Monday, October 4th, a Tennessee driver in a truck crashed into the home of a Clarksville, Tennessee family on Vanleer Street.
It is reported that the driver was “spinning” his tires in the street. He let go of the brakes by accident’ fell to the side, and the truck crashed into the house.
A mother and two children were in the house in Clarksville at the time of the incident. The family escaped any immediate physical injuries, however, the crash left the bricks of their home scattered and huge cracks in the cinder block foundation, and the entire wall leaning over. I think they may get a little nervous after this whenever they hear squealing tires, whether inside a house or not.
After the accident, the driver got back into his vehicle, and fled the scene. Was he another Tennessee DUI driver or doing drugs?
Near residents say that there are usually kids playing in the yards of this neighborhood. It is very fortunate that no one was injured, or worse, in this accident. Boneheads like this one are a menace to innocent people and themselves. This level of immaturity and stupidity in any driver is unacceptable. Statistics show that drivers that are being careless, or just not paying close enough attention are 56% more apt to cause an accident, see here. Warrants have now been issued for the driver of the truck, but my concern is that the message won’t get through – there will be a deal and some fines and this bonehead will be back on the road again. Warrants have now been issued for the driver of the truck.
1-800-377-HURT (4878)
Two Nashville young adults killed in drunk driving accident
Around 1 am Wednesday, October 6, a young couple was killed in a car accident around the Rivergate Mall, in Madison, TN. The accident occurred on Gallatin Road at the Alta Loma intersection. A man driving a pickup truck hit the couple’s Sebring and he has been charged with driving under the influence. The passenger of the pick up truck had minor injuries. Officials found several beer cans in the cab of the truck. The two young people in the car were pronounced dead at the scene, the two had been dating a little over a week.
Our condolences go out to the families of these two young adults. This accident could have been avoided, had this careless driver not have been behind the wheel drunk (see here for more information on drunk driving collisions in Tennessee). It is not immediately apparent how the accident occurred, other than the truck crashed into the driver side of the car. Officials have ordered blood tests on everyone involved in the accident, and more charges may be filed after the results come in. The driver of the truck was not only driving under the influence, but was behind the wheel with a revoked license. One of the victims father saw the news reports that fit the description of his daughter’s car, and sent his son, her brother, to the scene, to find that his sister was one of the deceased.
The young woman was attending Vol State for Nursing, and had a bright future ahead of her. The two young people’s lives have been cut short due to the carelessness of one drunk driver. Our condolences go out to the families of these two young adults. This accident could have been avoided, had this careless driver not have been behind the wheel drunk, and without a valid license.
1-800-377-HURT (4878)
1-800-377-HURT (4878)
Nashville Man killed in car accident on Briley Parkway, not wearing seatbelt.
Around 4:00 p.m. on June 28th, a 25-year-old Nashville man was driving an Explorer and was moving from one lane to the other to pass through the slower moving traffic on Briley Parkway in Nashville, Tennessee. He soon lost control on the wet road, and slid and rolled over. The man was not wearing his seat belt and was ejected from his car, where he died at the scene.
Our sympathies go out to this young man’s family and friends. This was a pointless, unnecessary death and I am sure they are suffering from this loss. Is there anything that can be learned from this kind of accident? A couple of things maybe: First, wet roads present a much greater risk to drivers than they think (click here for more info). Dropping your speed, regardless of your vehicle, tires, or handling is the smart thing to do. Second, even if this crash was unavoidable, would this young Nashville man have died if he were wearing a seat belt?
According to the National Traffic Safety Administration, fifty-five percent of people killed in car accidents were not wearing seat belts (see here). The numbers for car wrecks in Nashville aren’t any different. The unasked question has to do with this young man’s age. His greatest risk of death at this age is from a car accident. Statistics prove it (see here). What are we doing about it? The smart thing would be to restrict vehicle use among young men under 30 – that alone would save tens of thousands of lives, and hundreds of deaths in Tennessee from car accidents.
1-800-377-HURT (4878)
Nashville Car accident takes the life of an innocent toddler
Just before noon last Saturday, The Tennessee Highway Patrol responded to a Nashville car
accident that took the life of an innocent 4 year old child, and the driver of another car that was
involved. Authorities say that a 28 year old woman was driving a black Honda south on
Nolensville Road when she lost control of her car, and veered into oncoming traffic, causing
the fatal car crash.
According to the State Troopers, she had clipped two cars, then inevitably
crashed head on into another car. Five vehicles were involved in the end. The sweet little girl was
thrown from the back seat of her mother’s Nissan Maxima. She was pronounced dead on the way
to the hospital.
The driver of the Honda, we are told, may have been under the influence of alcohol,
as the investigators found alcohol bottles inside her car. She was pronounced dead on arrival.
Neither the driver of the Honda, nor the little girl were wearing seat belts. The mother of the
toddler was transported to Vanderbilt Hospital, where her condition is now unknown. The driver
and passenger of one other car were arrested for leaving the scene of a car accident, and not having
a valid license.
Certainly, this little girl should have been in proper restraints but she would be alive today but for the irresponsible behavior of the drunk driver. Drunk drivers cause car wrecks in Nashville and Tennessee on a daily basis. Let’s not blame the victim.
1-800-377-HURT (4878)
Hendersonville Teen Fatalities
Two Beech High School students have died as a result of a car crash involving two cars on Friday, August 6 on Long Hollow Pike around 3:30 according to The Hendersonville Star News.
Two boys were both riding in a 1993 Toyota, that was driven by one of the boy’s older brother, when the car crossed the center line and hit another Eastbound vehicle according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s report.
The boy who was riding in the front passenger seat, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, and the other was sent to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and was in critical condition. The 15-year-old died on Friday according to the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s Office.
37-year-old Jennifer W. was the other driver that was involved in the crash, and was injured and transported to Hendersonville Medical Center, and has since been released.
According to the report, none of the three teenagers riding in the 1993 Toyota were wearing their seatbelts, but Willingham had been wearing hers.
Our sympathy goes out to the families of the teens involved in this tragedy, and this is yet another example of the dangers of not wearing a safety belt.
According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), they estimate that 15,383 lives were saved by seat belts in 2006, and from 1975 to 2006, safety belts have saved the lives of 226,567 people.
Unfortunately, one out of every four Americans still do not wear their seat belts! Many of these crash related deaths, like these two teenagers, could be avoided with the simple act of buckling up.
A copy of the official police report may be obtained by contacting:
1-800-377-HURT (4878)
Mt. Juliet Teen Fatality – No Seat Belt
A wreck that occurred around 3 p.m. on Sunday August 8 on North Greenhill Road in Mt. Juliet took the life of a 16 year old girl, according to The Wilson Post.
She was a junior at Wilson Central High School, was a passenger in the 2003 Mercury Mountaineer pickup at the time of the wreck, and according to police she was not wearing her seat belt.
The 17 year old driver of the car, also a female, was wearing her safety belt and survived the crash. According to police, the driver crossed over the center line and then overcorrected, causing the truck to lose control.
The girl was thrown from the vehicle during the incident and landed about 90 feet from the road. According to the Wilson Post, she was transported to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, but died at 6:34 p.m. that evening.
“The driver of the vehicle wore her seatbelt while the passengers did not,” said Trooper Bill Fitzgerald of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, according to the report.
Approximately 35,000 people die in automobile accidents each year, and about 50 percent of these victims could have been saved if they had been wearing a seat belt.
Drivers and passengers are also 25 times more likely to be killed or gravely injured when they are thrown from the automobile that when remain in the vehicle.
This is a sad, sad thing for the family of this young woman. Our sympathy goes out to the family of the victim, and we can only hope that this can serve as a reminder to others to always fasten your seat belt when driving or riding in a motor vehicle.
A copy of the official police report may be obtained by contacting:
1-800-377-HURT (4878)
Tennessee Auto Accident Injury Risk
Tennessee auto accidents can result in serious injury or death when the victims are ejected from their cars. Research published by NHTSA has shown 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 are 17.7 times more likely to be ejected during a crash. Only 2% of belted passengers were ejected during a crash.
If you or anyone you know has been injured or killed in a Nashville or Tennessee car accident, please contact Nashville injury attorney Phillip Miller and the Tennessee personal injury attorneys at Phillip Miller and Associates at (615) 356-2000, or contact our office online here.
One last thing: If you are hurt and have any questions at all, contact our office at (615) 356-2000. Don’t delay. Cases involving personal injury or death in Tennessee must be acted on quickly. Time is running. Call for an appointment, if it’s bad enough that you need to read this far into a website blog, it’s bad enough to get an attorney involved.
Tennessee U-Turns Cause Unnecessary Car Wrecks
Auto accidents in Tennessee can be caused by what are often routine traffic manuvers. U-turns are done thousands of times every day, usually without incident, but they can also be the cause of auto accidents and personal injury. The problem is that they are very hazardous manuevers both to the driver executing the U turn and to any oncoming traffic.
The key for any driver is to keep a proper look out. This means that the U- turn does not begin until the driver is sure there is no oncoming traffic that will be affected by the U turn temporarily blocking a lane during the turn. Tennessee’s Rules of the Road specifically provide that drivers must keep a proper look out (see pages 62-65, Chapter 9, Tennessee Driver’s Manual). Following those rules keeps everyone safe from unnecessary auto accidents and personal injury.
If you or anyone you know has been injured or killed in a Tennessee car accident, please contact Nashville injury attorney Phillip Miller and the Nashville personal injury attorneys at Phillip Miller and Associates at (615) 356-2000, or contact our office online here.
One last thing: If you are hurt and have any questions at all, contact our office at (615) 356-2000. Don’t delay. Cases involving personal injury or death in Tennessee must be acted on quickly. Time is running. Call for an appointment, if it’s bad enough that you need to read this far into a website blog, it’s bad enough to get an attorney involved.
Why no seat belts in buses?
Seatbelts make a difference in reducing personal injury in auto accidents. Although seatbelts have been required safety equipment in passenger cars since the 70’s, there is no such requirement for buses. Does it make sense that school buses in Tennessee or anywhere else should be operated without this kind of basic safety equipment? There have been arguments over the years that the rigid, closely spaced seating in school buses provides adequate protection and makes seatbelts unnecessary. School bus accidents are very serious events. Rigid closely placed seats do not protect students from lateral “t-bone” collisions (where they are knocked out of their seats) or from rear-end or rollover collisions. Rollover collisions are especially dangerous to school children who have nothing to keep them in their seats once the bus begins to roll. Finally, the Federal Department of Transportation is considering a requirement of seatbelts in buses, see their plan here. The National Coalition for School Bus Safety has been adovcating for this for years. For more information from the National Coalition on School Bus Safety, click here. If seat belts reduce personal injury in auto accidents, don’t we want the same for our kids?
