It’s National Teen Driver Safety Week and all over the country officials are pushing for more awareness and conversation about how new drivers can be safe ones. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has come out with the fatal motor vehicle accident numbers from 2010, and the statistics are grim. Nearly 2,000 young drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 lost their lives from car crashes along with the 187,000 new drivers who were involved in accidents and suffered injuries from them. These numbers hit us hard and Tennessee adults are encouraged to engage in the education of our young drivers to help this year’s reports be lower than previous years’.

Some useful tips on how to prevent more tragic crashes are to talk about driving with a new driver; what it means to be a safe driver, how to keep a cool head in a scary situation and steps to take in an emergency. These things can help your teen driver to feel more comfortable in the event of a crash. Also, discussing some ground rules about when to drive and who to drive with could help, and setting up a limit of other teen passengers to help avoid potential distractions. One serious issue to discuss is using a phone while driving and the dangers of it. Another number reported from the 2010 figures is that 368 teen drivers were involved in fatal collisions due to distracted driving.

Knowing about the laws in Tennessee specifically can help new drivers to understand what is expected of them and how they can be safest when out on the road. Having things like using their seatbelts and not drinking and driving in that conversation can also help to prevent them from making a bad decision or worse, an impaired one.

Tennessee parents of new drivers can start this discussion now and continue to revisit this topic as their child gets more comfortable with the rules of the road. In the event that they are involved in an accident, contacting a personal injury lawyer could help a family to know their options regarding compensation and to move forward from the tragedy.

Source: The Los Angeles Times, “Traffic safety officials offer guidelines for safe teen driving,” Jerry Hirsch, Oct. 15, 2012

Every year public schools go through bus safety units and students are expected to understand what to do in case of an emergency, but what if the driver is the one putting the students in danger? Tennessee parents are going through some difficult emotions right now, trying to comprehend what happened as charges against a local bus driver are filed following a bus crash and in the wake of 26 injured students.

There were 39 students total on the vehicle as it was traveling at a speed reportedly 25-30 miles per hour above the given speed limit. The driver allegedly lost control of the large vehicle and tried to correct the veer of the bus, resulting in going too far the other way and the bus rolling over twice. The urgent help of medics on the scene may have saved the students from much worse conditions than their actual injuries. The community of Washington County is now wondering how to proceed after their children were endangered by someone who is supposed to safely transport them to and from school every day.

There have been a total of 39 charges filed against the bus driver, including reckless aggravated assault, speeding, reckless driving, and failing to exercise due care. A report of the inspection of the bus has indicated that the bus had no issues mechanically and officials are reported to have said they believe it was the bus driver’s “ʻreckless behaviorʼ” that caused the accident. The investigation is ongoing.

It doesn’t take a large vehicle to make a crash a traumatic event — it can be terrifying. But in a case like this, when there was not only a large vehicle involved but many, many lives as well? It’s understandable that people are wanting answers. Understanding the laws in Tennessee and your area about negligence and reckless driving could keep you aware of how you are driving, yourself. If you happen to get into a car accident, seeking out legal counsel to discuss personal injury claims and possible recompense could help you move forward from such an event.

Source: Johnson City Press, “Update: driver charged in Washington County school bus crash,” Becky Campbell, Oct. 3, 2012

• Our firm handles personal injury cases involving motor vehicle accidents. To learn more, visit the automobile accident page on our website.

We see it all the time on prescription pill labels, the line goes something like: Do not operate heavy machinery while taking this medication. It may interest Tennessee residents to know that some researchers are now reported to have said that certain medications shouldn’t be taken if a person is going to be driving or operating their heavy motor vehicle, namely antidepressants. Antidepressants or other prescription drugs that affect cognitive functions or behavior could slow down reaction time, causing driving to be potentially very dangerous.

The demand for antidepressants has grown increasingly in recent years and researchers appear to be worried about the amount of medicated drivers on the road. Tests have shown that taking these medications could increase the risk of an accident by 70%. The research done by the National Health Research Institutes, located in Zhunan, Taiwan has shown that even if a driver has just taken the medication hours before, their motor vehicle skills could still likely be impaired.

These researchers have also reportedly said that the medication’s warning label on the bottle ought to specifically state that driving is affected, or that doctors should mention this to their patients perhaps more than they might already be doing. It seems that for these scientists, the more caution, the better.

If you are taking a medication for mood disorder or psychological purposes, it could be crucial that you discuss all of the potential side effects with your doctor. Should you find yourself in a situation where you believe someone involved in a motor vehicle accident was under the influence of a prescription drug, finding an experienced attorney could help the parties involved to seek compensation and find a way to move forward.

Source: dailymail.co.uk, “Taking Prozac? Don’t drive: pills raise risk of you having an accident by 70%,” Sophie Borland, Sept. 12, 2012

• Our firm handles personal injury cases involving motor vehicle accidents. To learn more, visit the automobile accident page on our website.

The age of 16 has long since been a number that teens in Tennessee and elsewhere can’t wait to get to so that they may drive a car by themselves. But what if by the time a young adult is old enough to drive, the car drives itself? A new bill was brought into legislation yesterday when California Gov. Jerry Brown signed on for cars without drivers to be legal in the state.

Google and Caltech have collaborated on this issue with Gov. Brown in efforts to ensure that the production and management of these vehicles are safe and found suitable by officials. The cars in question would require a person to sit behind the wheel in the event of a situation where the car cannot handle itself. One of the reasons for this initiative is the high rate of drivers causing accidents due to their own errors, rather than malfunctions or problems with the vehicles they are driving. Of this point, the co-founder of Google says, “‘I expect that self-driving cars will be far safer than human driven cars.'”

These human-less cars are expected to be out and about within several years, once they have gone through the appropriate technology and safety tests. It is also reported that the self-functioning cars will have the ability to talk with each other in order to avoid traffic conflict.

Such revolutionary ideas could end up affecting the way we teach our teens to drive. When these cars come to fruition, and as they become more and more adept at being self-sufficient, how will our children learn to stay attentive and not be distracted while sitting in that driver’s seat? It is important for Tennessee drivers to be aware of the different cars on the road with them at all times, especially when that car has something of a mind of its own.

Whether we end up driving self-driving cars or not, motorists need to remain vigilant. A car accident can cause devastating injuries and even death. Every driver has a duty to keep the roads as safe as possible. Knowing your rights as a driver if you are sitting in a seat of a car that can drive itself could help you should anything ever go wrong. Reading the laws surrounding these new auto-automobiles could help you if you ever find yourself seeking legal assistance.

Source: Los Angeles Times, “Brown signs bill regulating self-driving cars in California,” Jerry Hirsch, Sep. 25, 2012

· Our firm handles personal injury cases involving motor vehicle accidents. To learn more, visit the automobile accident page on our website.