John and I just returned from a meeting of the International Society of Barristers in London. We had a great time and learned a lot including some interesting information on how Britain is effectively dealing with distracted driving. Continue reading
After years of trending downward, fatal car accidents have been on the rise, and most experts blame distracted driving as a leading culprit for the upward trend. Distracted driving comes in many forms: cellphone use, navigational systems, friend in the car, eating, etc., The good news is there are some relatively easy ways to reduce the chance that you will be distracted behind the wheel. Here are some tips on how to just drive: Continue reading
When I first heard about Distracted Driving Awareness Month I thought it was a great idea. But shortly thereafter, I found myself thinking: Is there really anyone who does not know about the dangers of distracted driving? Really? But a recent study by the Travelers Companies helps explain why we need Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The problem is huge: 92% of drivers admit to using their phone while driving (phonecalls, navigation apps, etc) and a 71% admit to texting while driving. Distracted driving does not just put other motorists at risk; it also puts pedestrians, skaters, bicyclists and anyone else sharing the road at risk. On a recent trip to Puerto Rico, we saw a unique approach to help improve pedestrian safety. Continue reading
Tennessee is one of the top five states for uninsured motorists. Roughly 20% of the vehicles on our roads are not covered by insurance. Second, 46.8% of all ride-share drivers do not have ride-share insurance. So why are these two facts so scary? Continue reading
It is the first Monday after daylight savings time. If you are like most people, you may have needed some more coffee to get through this morning and this afternoon. In a few days, our bodies make the adjustment to the loss of the hour but until then we are all at an increased risk of car crashes. Indeed, researchers looked at 21 years of car crash data and found the number of fatal car accidents on an average Monday is 78.2. On the Monday following “spring forward”, the average jumps to 83.5. So what can you do?
Last week, John and I were in Arizona for a meeting of the American College of Trial Lawyers. We were fortunate to get to hear a number of great speakers including FBI Director Christopher Wray who left us all assured the Bureau was in good hands, and Professor Goodwin who opened our eyes to the collateral damage of the so-called War on Drugs. But the two speakers we enjoyed most were: John Q. Barrett, the author of Justice Robert H. Jackson, Trial Lawyer at Nuremburg and Jason Schechterle, a retired Arizona police officer who was horribly burned from an on-duty accident but displayed a resilience and optimism that few can imagine let alone embrace. While these two speakers and their topics were incredibly different, both had a similar underlying message: the work that trial lawyers do is incredibly important Continue reading
Do you like to stay up late binge-watching Netflix? Does your FOMO result in you getting only a few hours of sleep? Does work stress and anxiety leave you tossing and turning? If these things or anything else is keeping you from getting at least seven hours of sleep at night, you are putting yourself and others at risk on the roadway. Just how big is the problem and the risk, consider these statistics: Continue reading
Last year, the number of car crash deaths in Williamson County nearly doubled. In 2016, there were 13 car crash deaths and in 2017 it increased to 25. A fifth of all crashes in Williamson County are caused by a distracted driver. The increased number of deaths on Williamson County roadways last year could also be attributable to a decreased use in seatbelts. Last year, seatbelt usage across the entire State dropped. To combat both of these issues, Williamson County has launched two safety initiatives and one of them is especially cool. Continue reading
Each year in this country, there are nearly 10,000 alcohol-related driving deaths. For decades, drunk driving deaths decreased thanks in large measure to increasing the drinking age to 21 and reducing the drunk driving BAC threshold. But unfortunately, drunk driving is again on the rise. Currently, twenty-eight (28) percent of all car accident deaths are attributable to alcohol. If you live in a rural area, the numbers are worse – the number jumps to 48%. Given these staggering numbers, the federal government commissioned the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to study the problem and offer suggestions on how to reduce these numbers. In a nearly 500 page report, the panel recommended some controversial changes to reduce the frequency of drunk driving, and some of those recommendations are already meeting with opposition.
Tennessee Injury Law Center