If you are hosting a New Year's Eve party, following a few simple rules could prevent a tragedy. Be sure to follow these tips in making sure you and your loved ones have a safe and fun way of ringing in the New Year! Have a great time, and be safe! Happy New Year from us here at Zachar Law Firm!
Plan ahead by naming a "designated driver." Make this your responsibility as the host.
Contact a local cab company to provide rides for your guests.
Serve non-alcoholic beverages as an option to your guests.
Stop serving alcohol to your guests several hours before the party ends.
Provide your guests with an option to stay overnight in your home.
If you are attending New Year's Eve parties and celebrations:
If you drink, don't drive.
Plan ahead and always designate a sober driver before the party or celebration begins.
If you are impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit, or get a sober friend or family member to come pick you up.
Or, stay where you are until you are sober.
Take the keys from someone if you think he/she is too impaired to drive. There may be an argument, but so what. The life of your friend and the lives of others is more important than a little anger.
Unfortunately, the most common accidents on New Year's Eve are car accidents in phoenix. Don't be another statistic.
HOW MANY ACCIDENTS AND TRAGEDIES COULD BE AVOIDED IF PEOPLE JUST SPENT A LITTLE TIME PLANNING AHEAD??
The Holidays are literally just around the corner and with it, millions of Americans will be taking road trips. Drivers must be prepared for everything from snow and ice to sleep-deprived travelers to “intexticated” and intoxicated drivers. As a Phoenix personal injury lawyer, these are just some of the tips that I find most useful.
Prepare your vehicle for long distance travel: Check your wipers and fluids. Have your radiator and cooling system serviced. Simple maintenance can prevent many of the problems that strand motorists on the side of the road before you leave your home.
Plan ahead: Before you get on a highway, know your exit by name and number, and watch the signs as you near the off-ramp. Drivers making unexpected lane changes to exit often cause accidents.
Do not cut in front of large trucks: Remember that trucks are heavier and take longer to make a complete stop, so avoid cutting quickly in front of them. Plus, they are some of the most discourteous drivers on the road. A scary combination.
Check your emergency kit: Contents should include: battery-powered radio, flashlight, blanket, jumper cables, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, bottled water, non-perishable foods, maps, tire repair kit and flares.
Be aware of changes in weather: Weather conditions across the U.S. will be changing – especially during early mornings and evenings with the cold. Watch for ice, snow and other weather-related obstacles.
Keep your eyes on the road: Distracted driving is a major cause of traffic accidents. Even just two seconds of distraction time doubles the chances of an accident. Use your cell phone when stopped and never text while driving.
Leave early and avoid risks: Leave early so you won’t be anxious about arriving late and to accommodate delays. Road conditions may change due to inclement weather or traffic congestion.
Be aware of truck blind spots: When sharing the road with large trucks, be aware of their blind spots. If you can’t see the truck driver in his or her mirrors, then the truck driver can’t see you.
Slow down: With the extra highway congestion due to holiday travel, speeding becomes even more dangerous. Allow plenty of space cushion and reduce your speed.
Buckle up: Safety belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent and are a simple way to increase your safety on the road.
TO ALL TRAVELERS, HAVE A SAFE AND MERRY HOLIDAY!!!!
Tips on how to keep the aging boomer population safe
Every day, 10,000 people in the United States turn 65, and most are still driving. With new-vehicle technology and more crowded and changing roadways and landscapes, there are more challenges than ever for older drivers.
AARP is at the forefront of education and just finished some research into its driver safety course. The organization will start a new program in 2014 called AARP Smart Driver Course. "The old course focused on the issues, but the new research led us to examine their behavior and to see where some of the specific weaknesses are with our older drivers," Julie Lee, vice president of AARP, said. Some of the most common driver errors include speeding, running red lights, failure to stop at stop signs, driving in the wrong lane, and improper left turns.
AARP also found that these drivers need practice sharing the road with motorcyclists and bicyclists, says Lee. The new course will now incorporate some of these findings and is an opportunity for older drivers to brush up on their knowledge and skills to be more confident and independent on the road. In addition, AARP will be starting a driving resource center with videos on the top car technologies, so older drivers can learn what is available in new cars they may be looking to buy.
If you or your loved one is an older driver, there are many ways for you to stay safe on the road and continue to drive for many years. Much of it has to do with knowing your physical limits and capabilities. Here are some tips from AARP.
Monitor your health. Be aware of any health changes such as vision, hearing, memory and concentration. Keep up with regular checkups and exercise.
Keep a safe driving distance. Use the three-second rule when following another car, so you have time to react to any potential hazards.
Avoid distractions. Anything that takes your eyes off the road is a distraction and that includes cell phone use, eating, using a GPS, and adjusting the radio.
Adjust your fit. AARP is a member of the Car Fit program, where a team of technicians can help set up your vehicle to make sure it “fits” you for comfort and safety. Go to Car Fit to find a location near you.
Self-regulate. Avoid driving during rush hour, at night, or in challenging weather conditions. Keep running your errands and appointments, but try to choose daylight and less busy times to travel.
Go right. Lee says instead of making a left-hand turn, make three right turns instead to get to the same place instead of crossing traffic in a busy intersection.
Don’t forget to stop. At stop signs, scan before proceeding and look for pavement markings. If you are behind another car, wait two seconds until they proceed through the sign before you move forward.
Check your meds. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if medications you are taking could have an affect on your driving.
Be aware of others. Bikes, motorcycles, and pedestrians can add more challenges to driving. Be extra vigilant in intersections and when merging.
Keep a buffer. Have enough space around your vehicle so you have room to maneuver whether it is on the road or in a parking lot.
Auto accident victims often suffer from both financial and physical hardships. Medical bills start adding up; financial burden because those injured are unable to work. There are many different variables that arise after an auto accident.
Are you okay? That is one of the first questions to ask yourself before retaining a Phoenix car accident lawyer.
Follow these 7 steps below to help protect your rights after an accident:
Obtain the names and all contact information of all witnesses;
Take pictures of the accident scene (cell phone camera);
Seek medical attention if needed;
Do not give any recorded statements to insurance companies;
File an accident report with police (if possible);
Keep all receipts for all expenses you accrue; and
Do not sign a release or waiver for anyone.
Is this an exhaustive list? Of course not. There is not enough room here to cover all the things that one needs to think about after an accident.
Did you know that an intersection left-turn is one of the most dangerous things you can do in a vehicle?
Many don’t think about it, but according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are over 2,400 fatalities nationwide due to left hand turn accidents. Is that number shocking? Not really, to experienced accident attorneys. We see way too many of these, and we see them all the time.
The number of fatalities in right hand turn accidents? Not even close.
If you are in an accident involving a left hand turn, and you are the left-turner, you may have a problem. In Arizona, regardless of the light color, when making a left hand turn, you must yield to any car that “presents a hazard to your path of travel”. If an accident occurs and there are no witnesses, good luck. You will probably be found at fault. Even if the other driver ran a red light, you better have witnesses. Even then, you may be find to be partially at fault. but the
Left hand turns in Arizona are very dangerous. Not only should they require every ounce of your attention, but you should always proceed with high caution when attempting a left hand turn. Make sure the cars coming at you are stopping. Do not go until you are sure. Don’t worry that cross traffic may be honking at you. If an accident occurs, you cannot blame them. You will be at fault, so take all the time you need to be sure.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has evaluated the numbers, and its data says that 2012 was a deadlier year for US motorists than 2011, with a 3.3-percent increase in road fatalities.
33,561 people were killed, with much of the blame being placed on an unseasonably warm winter that put more people behind the wheel than usual. Although 1,082 more people were killed, 72 percent were killed during the first quarter of the year, when snow and cold weather often do their part to keep people off the streets, according to The Detroit News.
Lending credence to the fact that our cars are safer than ever, many of those killed were pedestrians or motorcyclists, with The Detroit News reporting that there was a 7.1-percent increase in motorcyclists killed in 2012, the third year of increases in a row.
There were improvements, though. Automotive News notes that there was a small drop in deaths associated with distracted driving, from 3,360 to 3,328, although 421,000 people – a 9-percent increase over 2011 – were injured due to distracted drivers. Despite all of this, though, 2012 road deaths are near a 60-year-low overall.
"Highway deaths claim more than 30,000 lives each year, and while we've made substantial progress over the past 50 years, it's clear that we have much more work to do," said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Fox.
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to transportation, but there’s one that most share: At one point or another , we are all pedestrians. Unfortunately, pedestrians were one of the few groups of road users to experience an increase in fatalities in the United States in 2011, totaling 4,432 deaths.
Below are tips to help combat pedestrian accidents for both drivers and pedestrians. Working together will lower accidents.
Walkers –
Be predictable. Follow the rules of the road and obey signs and signals.
• Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available.
• If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible.
• Keep alert at all times; don’t be distracted by electronic devices that take your eyes (and ears) off the road. (texting while walking?)
• Walk across streets at marked crosswalks or intersections whenever possible. This is where drivers expect pedestrians. Look for cars in all directions – including those turning left or right.
• If a crosswalk or intersection is not available, locate a well-lit area where you have the best view of traffic. Wait for a gap in traffic that allows you enough time to cross safely, and continue to watch for traffic as you cross.
• Never assume a driver sees you. Make eye contact with drivers as they approach you to make sure you are seen.
• Be visible at all times. Wear bright clothing during the day, and wear reflective materials or use a flashlight at night.
• Watch for cars entering or exiting driveways, or backing up in parking lots.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs when walking; they impair your abilities and judgment too.
Drivers –
Look out for pedestrians everywhere, at all times. Safety is a shared responsibility.
• Use extra caution when driving in hard-to-see conditions, such as nighttime or in bad weather.
• Slow down and be prepared to stop when turning or otherwise entering a crosswalk.
• Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and stop well back from the crosswalk to give other vehicles an opportunity to see the crossing pedestrians so they can stop too.
• Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk. There may be people crossing that you can’t see. (It is also against the law in Arizona)
• Never drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. (Yep. That is against the law too)
• Follow the speed limit, especially around people on the street.
• Follow slower speed limits in school zones and in neighborhoods where there are children present.
• Be extra cautious when backing up – pedestrians can move into your path.
Generally, these accidents occur when at least one person is not paying attention. If you are a pedestrian, it is just crucial that you exercise proper precaution.
Remember, if a serious accident occurs, no one wins. But if you are the pedestrian in a car-pedestrian accident, you definitely lose.
Cold weather, distracted drivers, hectic schedules, and impaired drivers make it a prime time for accidents to occur.
The pattern usually starts around Thanksgiving (which is the deadliest travel holiday of the year) and continues on through New Year’s. Drivers should be a little more on the cautious side when driving during this two month stretch.
According to the NHTSA, in 2010, there were over 431 deadly traffic accidents on Thanksgiving Day. This is a horrible statistic and it only gets worse as the majority of the accidents caused during this holiday stretch is due to drunk drivers.
To keep you and your loved ones safe for the Holidays, please take a look at the tips below. They are meant to help keep you safe.
- Make sure your vehicle is in good working condition
- Buckle up. Seatbelts are a no-brainer.
- Slow down. With hectic schedules rising during the Holidays, many forget that regardless of how fast you are driving, you WILL get where you are wanting to go. So do it safetly
- Don’t drink and Drive. This doesn’t just go for the Holidays, but year round. Just don’t do it. It’s not worth it.
- Be well rested and alert while you are on the road. Don’t drive drowsy.
- Don’t tailgate. Time and time again, accidents occur because someone was following too close. Tailgating changes absolutely nothing when you are on the road. So don’t do it.
Hardly a week goes by when you don’t hear or read about a tragic accident caused by a distracted driver. More often than not, the distraction is almost always the phone. But recently a growing trend shows that the car itself is starting to lead as a distraction.
Cars today include touch screens that give you access to internet radio, stocks, weather, phone calls, emails, navigation, and even text messages. This sounds like a recipe for disaster. And lately, it has been.
Question: Can manufacturers be held liable if their product is the reason for an accident? Some manufacturers are now requiring their buyers to accept a disclaimer every time they operate certain systems and even lock the system up while the vehicle is in motion. The idea is to make sure no one is abusing the amenities while on the road. The real question is, does technology in vehicles help prevent or help cause more accidents?
Likely a combination of both. Is it foreseeable that ‘technology’ could lead to distractions and accidents? Yes, of course.
Does that mean that manufacturers should NOT employ technology, for fear of liability? Absolutely not.
You cannot always engineer stupidity. Every person who gets behind the wheel has an obligation to know their vehicle and control their vehicle. If the temptations are too great, stick with the 1996 Yugo. If you can handle it, that new Tesla might just be a good fit.
As I awoke early Thanksgiving morning to get our turkey in the oven in anticipation of the 30 guests coming over, I made a startling discovery.
We had no water.
The faucets were running dry. OMG. 30 guests coming over, and no water. Think. Think.
Ok. Drinking water--no big deal. I can get bottles at the store. What else? OMG. Toilets.
How can we possibly have 30 guests and no bathroom service? What can we do? What is the alternative? Shift to someone else's house? Organize shuttle runs to McDonalds? Other?
I checked our main water valve. Fine. I next called the City Water Services Department, and found there was a shutdown in our area, that they were recharging it and we should be back up within the hour. Whew. Crisis averted.
Then I began thinking...again....
Here is the thought that came to my mind: What a great country we live in.
We wake up each morning and think nothing of the fact that we only need to flip a lever in multiple different locations in our house, and we get clean, safe water. Never even give it a second thought. Where does America stand on that issue? I did some research:
- 345 million without clean water in Africa
- 200 million in Asia and Southeast Asia
- 32 million in Latin America
- United States: 0
I found that each year, 3.2 million people die from a "water-related disease". That concept is so far off the radar in our country that it is shocking. Something so simple, that we take for granted each and every minute of our lives. We don't give it a second thought. At all.
Ok. Where am I going with this? Here is my conclusion: I love this country. I love the United States.
We are not perfect. We have problems--lots of them. Our government is completely broken. Congress is spending money faster than it is made (out of thin air, seemingly). Our President has an agenda to destroy the very democratic and Constitutional fabric of our free country. That is pathetic and sad. Even more pathetic is the fact that the people in America are completely blind to this, and think our government (President) is doing a good job.
But this Thanksgiving morning, I was thankful. I am thanking that we live in safe cities and safe homes. I am thankful that we have the freedom to be who we are and associate with whom we want. I am thankful that education is a priority. I am thankful for our criminal law system and our civil justice system. We are a nation of laws, and a law abiding society. And there is sooooo much more. Thursday morning, I realized how good we really do have it here in the US, despite our problems.
And all that took was a simple flip of a lever in my home......
