Halloween is a time to dress up and have fun with
friends, but it’s also the number one day of the year for childhood injuries. Many Halloween-related injuries can be
prevented by following these safety tips from the American Academy of
Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National
Safety Council:
• Use flashlights, stay on sidewalks and avoid walking across yards.
• Cross streets at the corner, use crosswalks and do not
cross between parked cars.
• Wear clothing that is bright, reflective and flame
resistant.
• Use face paint instead of masks.
• Avoid wearing long, baggy or loose costumes or
oversized shoes to prevent tripping.
• Travel in small groups with an adult.
• Go only to well-lit houses and do not ever enter the house.
• Carry a cell phone and know how to call 911.
• Adults should inspect candy before letting kids eat it.
Discard any unwrapped candy or open containers. Do not eat any unwrapped candy.
• Use flexible costume knives and swords.
• Motorists should remember to drive slowly and watch for
children in the street.
• When carving pumpkins, have the children draw a face on
the pumpkin and have an adult do the carving.
• Place lit pumpkins away from curtains and do not leave
lit pumpkins unattended.
Seem reasonable? Yes,
but these helpful reminders for your kids are very necessary. Remember,
kids are very excited and will not always look out for their own well-being.
The North Miami Beach Police Department was out pulling drivers
over last Wednesday to see if they had their 1) license,
2) registration and 3) proper
insurance.
Some drivers said it wasn't a problem stopping to show
authorities they had the correct paperwork. One man stopped through
the checkpoint was driving with a suspended license, police said
"When you drive you can have accidents. You are liable and
you are responsible too. You have to have a license, your insurance and your
documents. I don’t mind having to show this," driver Mario Rios said.
Others realize the costs you have to pay to cover those who
don't have their insurance.
"I think it drives up the costs of everyone’s insurance.
You put us at risk. You put everyone else at risk and you never know what could
happen," said driver Bryan Scott. If
you are caught without the proper insurance or a suspended license you could be
arrested. But the real reason police say they're doing this is to make sure
those who are break the law don't potentially ruin the lives of those who are
obeying it.
Police Officer Michael Bolinger remembers a crash that has stuck
with him through his 24 year career. "I
remember one in particular. He was an independent air condition repair
contractor and so his truck was basically how he made his living, how he fed
his family and how he paid his bills," he said.
The man's truck was slammed into by someone without proper
insurance or a license and his livelihood was lost.
"This man just literally cried to me. He said what am I
going to do? I can't go to work today or tomorrow or any day soon and this man
who just destroyed by truck and my livelihood he has no means of reimbursing me
for the damage that he has done," he said.
FACT: Motor vehicle accidents have a real effect, and
sometimes a PROFOUND effect on the lives of others.
Often, the insurance companies will say “well, that was not a
serious accident.” You know what that means? That means that it
happened to someone else.
For the last 21 years, we have been assisting people with all
types of accidents, big and small. Regardless, when you are a victim, you
are “victimized”. It disrupts your life and it affects you. The law
says if you break it, you buy it. It is not about anyone “getting
rich”. For the most part, it is simply about not coming out worse that
you were before the accident.
I have zero problem with a “car insurance checkpoint”.
Bravo to this police agency
So, you
were injured in an accident and decided to bring a personal injury claim
against the negligent party. You have been suffering since your accident and
you want to be compensated for your pain and discomfort. Is that enough to win
your lawsuit? No, that is not enough.
I tell my clients, “it is
not what you know, it is what you can prove.” You know
that you are hurting, but can you prove it? Here
are the top five things you need to meet your burden of proof:
1. Medical
Treatment - The truth of the matter is that you may have pain after an
accident, but if you don’t get medical treatment, then it is 1)
hard to prove you were hurt and 2) easy for the defendant to
paint argue you were not hurt. Jurors don’t like to
hear that you “are not a complainer” to justify why you didn’t get medical
treatment, and “excuses” of any kind will likely doom your case. You
are person, not a superhero. Reasonable people
get medical treatment when they are hurt. If you don’t need
treatment, great. That is the best type of accident to be in. If
you are hurt, get treatment and follow-up with your doctors
as needed. End of story. 2. Be
Consistent With Your Symptom Reporting. When
filling out your medical paper work or speaking with your doctor/nurse,
communicate your symptoms, including your symptoms you are having at
that moment as well as the
symptoms since the accident. If a body part is painful or numb or feels
different since the accident, make sure to state that
in the medical paperwork and when you speak with your doctors. This
information should be consistent from one doctor to the next,
and, even if you see a doctor for a medical condition unrelated to your
injury, it helps if you tell them about your injury.
3. Be
Descriptive With Your Symptoms. When communicating
your symptoms to your medical provider, specifically identify the type of pain
you are experiencing. Different types of symptoms indicate different types of
injuries. Don’t write that you have “pain.” Describe the pain. There is a
difference between dull, achy pain and sharp pain with pins
and needles, numbness and tingling, etc….
How you describe your symptoms can greatly assist
the doctor in making a diagnosis. The way you describe your symptoms should be consistent with all of
your medical providers.
4. Be
Accurate About Your Medical History. If you have had
medical treatment to your low back before an accident and then suffered a new
back injury from an accident, it is extremely important that you tell all of
your doctors about your prior low back symptoms and treatment.
The law allows you to bring a claim if an accident worsened
(aggravated) a pre-existing medical condition, but juries look harshly upon
people who are not truthful. You can still have a legal claim even if you have
had prior treatment for the same body part, but a jury will turn you away if
you don’t disclose that prior/relevant medical treatment. There is no-one who
knows your medical history better than you do. You lived it. As a result, a
jury will not believe that you “forgot” your prior injury/condition if you
failed to disclose it to the doctors treating you after an accident.
5. Communicate
With Your Attorney. Whenever you plan on seeing a new medical doctor or getting
new tests or radiological studies, let your attorney know. Your attorney is
there to help guide you through the process, but they cannot do that if you do
not keep them informed. Additionally, if you decide to apply for disability
benefits or for government assistance, it is critical that your attorney be
part of that process. In your effort to seek assistance, you may be
jeopardizing your claim. Why not keep your attorney in the loop? It does not cost
you anymore, and the advice and assistance you receive is exactly why you have
an attorney in the first place.
Will these rules guaranty you a recovery
in your personal injury case? Of course not. On the other hand,
they will provide you and your attorney the information and documentation
needed to give you the best chance of presenting a successful claim.
October 20th-26th
is National Teen Driver Safety Week. Given
the extensive number of teen car crashes in
October, this encourages parents, young drivers, lawmakers and educators to
work together to change risky driving behaviors and help save lives.
Having a
dedicated week provides a unique opportunity to focus attention on this
national problem. The week serves as a time to shine a spotlight on teen driver
safety and ramp up conversations about teen driver safety.
Cell
Phones
Talking
on a cell phone while driving slows down the reaction time of even the most
experienced driver – making it the same as that of a 70-year-old. Can you
imagine the impact it will have on your teenager? And texting while driving is
a serious risk for teen drivers as well, forcing them to take their eyes and at
least one hand off the steering wheel.
Distracted
drivers can kill or be killed
Driving
distractions like talking on a cell phone or texting while driving are an even
greater threat for teens than for others. It is
well documented that 15 to 17-year olds have
the highest percentage of distracted drivers.
Talk to
your teen drivers about the risks of talking, texting, and other distractions,
and set clear expectations about driving habits.
A motorcyclist died last Tuesday night after colliding with a vehicle at a north
Phoenix intersection, according to Phoenix Police.
Witnesses said the 18-year-old male rider was heading west on Union Hills
Drive, approaching 19th Avenue where a vehicle facing east was waiting to turn
left.
As the light turned yellow, the motorcycle rider sped up as the driver of
the vehicle turned into his path.
The vehicle’s driver, a 56-year-old woman, remained at the scene while
police investigated. The motorcyclist was taken to a nearby hospital where he
later died.
A
lot of questions here:
Was
he wearing a helmet?
Why
did he “speed up” on a yellow light?
What
was his speed at the time of the crash?
Under
Arizona law, there is potential that BOTH drivers have responsibility
here. “Yellow” does not mean “go faster”. At the same time, a
driver intending to make a left turn at an intersection has a duty to “yield
right of way” to others in the area that “present a hazard” to their path of
travel.
Our
thoughts and prayers go out to the families affected by this tragedy.
Every so often, it is our duty to remind
you of the painfully obvious. This is one of those times. So please bear with us when we say: if
you're sleepy behind the wheel, you're much more likely to be involved in an
automobile accident than if you are wide
awake.
OK.
Duh. Seems simple, right? Yeah, it seems that way, but it is never
a bad thing to get an occasional reminder
We can make such bold assertions thanks to a recent
study published in the Journey of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Therein, 2,673 individuals living in West
Australia who were suspected of "sleep disordered breathing", a
condition that's commonly called sleep apnea, were
studied in several respects.. According to the National Institute of Health, breathing pauses related to
sleep apnea can be as brief as a few seconds or as long as minute or more:
"They may occur 30 times or more an hour. Typically, normal
breathing then starts again, sometimes with a loud snort or choking sound.
Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition that disrupts your sleep.
When your breathing pauses or becomes shallow, you’ll often move out of deep
sleep and into light sleep. As a result, the quality of your sleep is poor,
which makes you tired during the day. Sleep apnea is a leading cause of
excessive daytime sleepiness."
The Australian study team wanted to know how sleep apnea -- and related
daytime sleepiness -- affect a driver's risk of having an automobile accident.
They found that those suffering from sleep deprivation
have accident rates three times higher than the population as a
whole.
While the study's statistical findings are interesting, the general idea
that drowsy drivers have accidents is kind of a no-brainer. So why bring it
up?
Well, for starters, we're heading into the holiday travel
season. Extra time on the road paired with fewer hours of daylight (and
sometimes, a few glasses of eggnog), or pushing it
in anxiousness to get to grandma’s house may mean an increase in the
possibility of accidents. Consider this a community service.
Also, it's important to note that the study was carried out in Western
Australia. Like drivers in certain parts of the American West and Midwest, motorists
in Western Australia have a reputation for "zoning out", thanks to
the state's vast size and sparse population. That often results in drivers
nodding off behind the wheel, or simply failing to pay attention to what's in
front of the car.
It's no coincidence that this is the same part of Australia in which
researchers are testing out the
world's first attention-powered car.
Are you kidding me? If
there ever was a case to illustrate the danger of texting and driving, this. Is
it.
A texting driver with five kids
in the vehicle plowed through a wall at Luke Air Force Base last Saturday night,
Glendale police said. One child sustained non-serious injuries in the
single-vehicle collision, which occurred at about 8:30 p.m. The child was
checked out at a nearby hospital and released.
The crash was in the area where
Glendale Road dead ends at Litchfield Road, which runs parallel to a brick wall
bordering the base. Police said the distracted driver missed a red light
before driving through the wall.
No other injuries were reported.
(Thank God). The Arizona Legislature has decided repeatedly that we
don't need a law against texting and driving. They believe that the
"reckless driving" statute is enough.
There are a few
simple things every driver can do to make sure their car is ready for the road.
“Learning how to
handle common maintenance issues is beneficial to anyone who gets behind the
wheel,” said John Nielsen, managing director of AAA Automotive Engineering and
Repair. “Proper maintenance can extend the life of your vehicle and help
prevent costly repairs.”
Below are four
simple car care practices AAA recommends every motorist perform on a regular
basis:
Check the Air
and Wear of Your Tires
83% of American
do not know how to properly inflate their tires, according to the Rubber
Manufacturers Association. The pressure on all tires—including the spare—
should be checked monthly, with a quality gauge when the tires are cold. Proper
pressure levels can be found in the owner’s manual or on a sticker most often
located on the driver-side door jamb. Do not use the pressure stamped on the
sidewall of the tire. Note that the pressure levels on some cars are different
for the front and rear tires.
Check the tread
depth on each tire by placing a quarter upside down in the tread grooves. If
the top of Washington’s head is exposed at any point, it’s time to start
shopping for new tires. Also, look for uneven tire wear when checking the
tread. This can be an indication of suspension, wheel balance or alignment
problems that need to be addressed.
Every driver at some
point deals with a flat tire. Click here for a step-by-step video that shows
how to prepare for and repair or replace a flat tire.
Ensure Your Car
Battery is Properly Charged
Extreme
temperatures break down car batteries internally and can accelerate the rate of
corrosion on battery terminals, leading to insufficient electrical power and
the risk of being stranded without warning.
At every oil
change, check the battery cables and ensure they are securely attached to the
terminals. Clean the terminals if there are signs of corrosion. Disconnecting
the cables to clean the hidden areas where they contact the battery terminals
is the best way to remove external corrosion. Most car batteries have a
three to five year service life, depending on local climate and vehicle usage
patterns. If your battery is getting old, have it tested at a AAA Approved Auto
Repair shop or by using AAA Mobile Battery Service to determine if it needs to
be replaced.
Keep Those
Wipers Working
Inspect the
wiper blades monthly. Check to see if they are worn, cracked or rigid with
age. Damaged wiper blades won’t adequately remove debris, compromising
the driver’s vision and safety. The life of a rubber insert is typically six to
12 months depending on its exposure to heat, dirt, sunlight, acid rain, and
ozone. Streaking and chattering are common clues that the rubber is
breaking down and a replacement is needed. Click here to learn more.
The windshield
washer fluid reservoir should be checked monthly. Top it off with a solution
formulated to aid in the removal of insects or other debris. In winter, use a
solution that will not freeze at low temperatures. Also, test the washer spray
nozzles for proper operation and aim before leaving on a trip.
Work with a
Local Repair Shop You Trust
Every car
requires routine maintenance and repair. The best time to find a mechanic or
auto repair shop is before you need one. Start by asking friends and family for
recommendations of repair shops and mechanics.
In progress toward safer cars, devices like seat belts were
aimed at protecting you in a crash. Today, new safety technology is moving
toward preventing an accident from happening at all.
"We are seeing a rapid shift from passive safety technology
to active safety technology in modern cars," said senior analyst Karl
Brauer of Kelley Blue Book. A lawsuit
over rearview cameras and new ratings for collision warning and automatic
braking systems highlight the trend toward accident prevention gear. Public
interest groups last week sued the U.S. Department of Transportation for
delaying federal requirements that all new cars have rearview cameras, which
let a driver see what is behind a vehicle before backing up. The Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety also has expanded its testing programs to rate systems
that sense an imminent collision and warn the driver and, in some cases,
apply the brakes automatically.
Backup
cameras
By letting a driver see what is behind his vehicle, this feature
can avoid particularly tragic accidents where parents or neighbors back over
small children.These "backover" accidents cause an average of 292
deaths and 18,000 injuries a year, according to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration. About 44 per cent of those killed are children under
five. This is especially an issue for large vehicles like SUVs, pickups and
minivans. Under congressional mandate to improve rear visibility, NHTSA
and the Department of Transportation have repeatedly postponed the rule that
all new cars must have backup cameras after automakers objected to the
potential expense. Now consumer advocacy groups, including Consumers Union and
Public Citizen, are suing the department to speed up this requirement.
Question:
How much of an additional expense is this? The technology already
exists. Now we just need the hardware and the installation. Given
the fact that the manufacturers will simply pass the expense on to the
consumer, and no doubt with some amount of markup, the “potential expense”
argument seems a bit silly here.
Crash
avoidance systems
First luxury cars, and now mid-priced
vehicles, have added systems that warn a driver when a front-end crash is
imminent and, in some cases, apply the brakes automatically. Kelley Blue Book's
Brauer believes this is the most essential safety technology since seat belts
and rollover-avoiding stability control. "The auto-brake functions that
slow vehicles if they sense a car or pedestrian in the path of travel are the
most important new safety features, he said. Car-pedestrian accidents
especially cause so much personal injury."
The Insurance Institute tested 74 luxury and moderately priced
2013 and 2014 cars and SUVs that offer a forward collision warning system with
or without autonomous braking. These systems often are optional rather than
standard equipment. "Front crash protection systems can add a thousand
dollars or more to the cost of a new car," said IIHS chief research
officer David Zuby. "Our new ratings let consumers know which systems
offer the most promise for the extra expense."
The Institute rated vehicles in three categories -- superior, advanced
and basic. Each rating depends on the equipment offered and its performance in
braking tests at 12 mph and 25 mph to simulate city driving. Here is a closer
look at what each rating means and which cars fell into that category:
Superior: To win this highest rating, a
vehicle needed to offer auto-braking and perform well in the testing.
Subaru's Legacy sedan and Outback wagon, with their so-called Eyesight system,
got the highest rating because they were the only vehicles to avoid crashes entirely
in both the 12 mph and 25 mph tests. Cadillac's Automatic Collision Preparation
System was next best. The Cadillac ATS sedan and SRX SUV both avoided a crash
at 12 mph and reduced the speed by more than 15 mph before crashing in the 25
mph test. The three other vehicles that achieved a superior rating are the
Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan and the Volvo S60 sedan and XC60 SUV.
Advanced: Models with this rating offer
forward collision warning combined with auto-braking, but performed less well
in the IIHS tests. Some of these systems, including Acura's Collision
Mitigation Brake System, are designed to slow the car down before a crash but
not avoid it entirely, according to the Institute. Vehicles with advanced
ratings include the 2014 Acura MDX SUV, Audi A4 sedan and Q5 SUV, 2014
Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV, Lexus ES sedan and 2014 Mazda 6 sedan.
Basic: In this rating, a vehicle has a forward collision warning
but no effective auto-braking. Each system must also meet criteria set out by
the NHTSA of sounding a warning within a certain time before a crash.
Twenty-five vehicles get this rating. (For a complete list, click here and scroll to the bottom of the table.) Some
vehicles advertised as having auto-braking, such as the BMW 3 series and the
Infiniti JX SUV, got a basic rating because they did not perform well enough in
the tests.
Whatever the outcome of the litigation over these technologies,
backup cameras -- already in 77 percent of 2013 models -- will be required on
all new vehicles within a few years. And front crash warning and avoidance
systems, in the pattern of all past safety features, will eventually spread
even to less expensive cars. Some of the radar and video technology involved
are even steps along the road to the driverless car.
Does this
seem too much? Don’t people just need to be more careful? Maybe,
but the “be more careful” warning doesn’t seem to be slowing people down nor
decreasing the number of car accidents. If the technology exists and
works, should car buyers be given the option? They can choose to pay for
it or not, but, IF IT WORKS, then we are all safer with this technology
on the road. It is not something that we want to rely on—safety still
mandates attention and safe driving, but a little extra assistance to avoid
accidents?
Nearly one million high school teens drank alcohol
and got behind the wheel in 2011. Teen drivers are 3 times more likely than
more experienced drivers to be in a fatal crash.
Car crashes—the #1 killer of teens—take about 3,000 young lives every year.
As a parent, you should know that the main cause of teen crashes is driver
inexperience. All new drivers—even straight-A students and "good
kids"—are likelier than experienced drivers to be involved in a fatal
crash. It's a fact.
The good news is that you can make a difference by getting involved with
your teen's driving. Take advantage of the "Parents Are the Key"
tools and resources. Learn about the most dangerous driving situations for your
young driver—and how to avoid them.
Steer Your Teen in
the Right Direction
As a parent, you have the greatest influence over your teen's behavior. In
fact, leading experts believe parents play a key role in preventing teen car
crashes and deaths. Take the first step: Talk with your teen about staying safe
behind the wheel. Then, keep the conversation going. You can steer your teen in
the right direction, and "Parents Are the Key" has proven steps that
can help.
Crash Facts
Teen drivers are four times likelier to crash than
older drivers.
Crash risk goes up when teens drive with other teens in
the car. Nearly two out of three teen crash deaths that involve
16-year-old drivers happen when a new driver has one or more teen
passengers.
Night-time fatal crash rates for 16-year-olds are
nearly twice as high as daytime rates.
While there are no safety
guarantees, good communication and lots of practice are so key in placing a new
driver on the road. Safe driving all!!
