Zachar Law Blog

4 Ground Rules to Set For Your Teen Driver.

Most people were ‘teen drivers’ at one time. Now that most parents have teens of their own, it’s time to lay some ground rules in making sure they drive safe and drive smart.  Car Accidents involving teen drivers are still increasing.  There are many reasons for this, but the main cause is distracted driving. Face it, teen drivers are the most inexperienced drivers on the road today.

These four (4) rules will help in keeping your teen driver safe while they are behind the wheel:

• Talk to your kids about traffic safety early and often, before they reach driving age, but don’t stop there.  Have conversations with the parents of your kids’ peer groups and compare notes—both are key to your teens’ safety.  (In 2011, car accidents were the leading cause of death for 14-18 year olds in the U.S.  That year, 2,015 teen drivers were involved in fatal crashes. Almost half (45%) of those teen drivers died in the crash.)

• Show your kids safe driving behavior. Start by modeling good habits any time you drive, even before they begin to drive.  Turn off your cell phone and put it in the glove compartment before putting your key in the ignition.  (Talking is important, but action is even better.)

• Set ground rules and outline the consequences for breaking them in a Parent-Teen Driving Contract.  Consider hanging your contract by the family car keys or near the front door.

• Set rules for your teen driver. Make sure they follow these. It’ll put your mind to ease knowing they are that much safer.

- No CELL PHONES

- No Extra Passengers

- No Speeding

- No ALCOHOL

- Seat belts – ALWAYS!

These tips/rules can have a real impact on your teen driver. Let them know that you are serious about these rules. Make sure they know:  Driving is a privilege and not a right.

With these tips and rules in hand, it’ll ease both your mind and also the mind of your teen driver.

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Summer Months Are The Most Deadly For Teen Drivers

When someone thinks of the most dangerous parts of the year for teen drivers. Many would think it’s the winter months. The ice and snow can cause slick roads.  But really, summer time is the worst for teen drivers.

AAA says seven of the top 10 deadliest days for teen driving happen during the summer months, when kids are out of school and spending time hanging out with friends.  "Summer can be a fun season for teens, but it can also have the highest fatality rates," said Michelle Chaka, a safety researcher with Ford. The automaker's research shows many more teens died in the summer months of 2011 compared with the winter months.

Ford released a survey showing that teens often mimic their parents' behavior behind the wheel. So if you text and drive or chat on the phone and drive, you pretty much should assume Junior is doing the same thing when he's out of your eyesight.

Several non-profit groups which focus on teen driving safety have issued press releases in the past month, alerting the public that the dangerous months are coming.  Some groups try to scare teens into being more responsible behind the wheel by hosting gruesome role playing events that show the aftermath of a fatal accident.  Some businesses want parents to buy their gadget – an app that blocks texting, for example, or a GPS unit that tracks where your teen is driving.

While there is no silver bullet that can guarantee your teen will stay safe behind the wheel, parental involvement makes a huge difference. This is what AAA suggests:

Restrict driving and eliminate joy rides: For the first year of driving, parents should limit their teen's solo drives to essential trips only, and only with parental permission. No matter how much they protest, the first year after the get their license should still be considered a training period.

Limit the number of passengers: The number of crashes that happen with a large posse of kids in the car is staggering. And when there's a large group of kids in a car and something goes wrong, a bad situation can turn exponentially more tragic. Fatal crashes for teens increase five-fold when there are two or more teen passengers in the car.  (The nation was shocked earlier this year when a car full of teens from Ohio died in a crash. The same sad situation happened just weeks ago in California. It is likely to happen again this summer.)

Restrict night driving: The risk of a fatal teen crash doubles at night. More than half of night time crashes occur between 9 p.m. and midnight. Just because your teen has his or her license doesn't mean you should abdicate your role as chauffer. Either plan on continuing to pick up and drop off when your teen is out, or plan for more sleepovers.

Establish a driving agreement: Set clear consequences when your teen violates the rules, and stick to the plan. AAA offers a sample teen driving agreement at www.TeenDriving.AAA.com.

Whatever you do, don't assume that because the state has issued your child a driver's license that he or she is now a safe driver. There is no such thing as a safe teen driver – they are inexperienced behind the wheel and need years of practice before they can truly be considered safe. The best thing parents can do is monitor their children and educate them as they use their teen years to practice essential driving skills.

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Voice-Activated Texting Dangers Highlighted in New Study

Just the Facts:

• Voice-to-text is just as dangerous as manual texting in a car, a new study has found.
• Driver response times were "significantly delayed" no matter which texting method was used, said the Texas Transportation Institute study.
• The study, which looked at the use of Siri for the iPhone and Vlingo for Android, is said to be the first of its kind.

Voice-to-text is just as dangerous as manual texting in a car, a new study has found.

Driver response times were "significantly delayed" no matter which texting method was used, said the Texas Transportation Institute study. The study looked at voice-to-text applications, including Siri for the iPhone and Vlingo for Android.

The study, which was released on Tuesday, is said to be the first of its kind to compare voice-to-text and manual texting on a handheld device in an actual driving environment. Researchers looked at the performance of 43 drivers in a 2009 Ford Explorer on a closed course.

"Texting drivers may believe they're being more careful when they use the voice-to-text method, but new research findings suggest that those applications offer no real safety advantage over manual texting," researchers said.

Drivers took about twice as long to react as they did when they weren't texting.

"For most tasks, manual texting required slightly less time than the voice-to-text method, but driver performance was roughly the same with both," researchers said. "Drivers felt less safe when they were texting, but felt safer when using a voice-to-text application than when texting manually, even though driving performance suffered equally with both methods."

The U.S. Department of Transportation calls distracted driving a dangerous epidemic on America's roads. In 2010 alone, over 3,000 people were killed in distracted-driving crashes.  

Just say no.  Don't do it.  A big temptation, but it can wait.  

Please???

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California Law Rules To Ban Google Maps For Drivers?

A recent ruling in California prohibits drivers from using mapping apps like Google Maps while driving.  This occurred after a man was caught checking his smartphone for directions.

Section 23123 of the California Vehicle Code bans voice calling and text messaging while driving a car. However, Steven Spriggs challenged a citation for violating the rule during a traffic stop in January 2012. He rejected the accusation, as he considered that checking the map application for directions was not included in the ban on calling or texting while driving law.

The Superior Court of California Judge W. Kent Hamlin said: “Our review of the statute’s plain language leads us to conclude that the primary evil sought to be avoided is the distraction the driver faces when using his or her hands to operate a phone. That distraction is present whether the wireless telephone was being used as a telephone, a GPS navigator, a clock or a device for sending and receiving text messages and e-mails.”

The law is not BAN the possession or use of GPS devices or smartphone navigation apps. Instead, it bans the use of such devices "while driving." They can be used, but only if they are mounted somewhere for drivers to keep their hands away from them.  Voice-activated and/or Bluetooth devices (hands-free) are legal and acceptable.

Thus far, Arizona has not seen fit to pass similar laws to ban these practices.  Our legislators believe that the present laws that exist are sufficient to control these activities while driving.

In my opinion and experience, our legislators are delusional on this issue.  Multiple attempts to pass laws on these issues have unfortunately failed.

Our hope is that Arizona wakes up sometime soon, and passes a law to prohibit some of these bad habits. A car accident in Arizona is no different regardless if someone is using their phone for texting, or looking for directions. Arizona needs to look into this issue much closer, before bad habits become worse. 

State of Arizona Not Concerned with Young Drivers?

At age 15 years, 6 months, a teen can apply for a driving permit in Arizona, 

They first must pass a written test.  Okay.  Easy right?  I mean, the State is surely concerned with getting these young drivers n the right foot, and so, there must be a plethora of free study materials available.  Right?

Wrong. Waaaaaay wrong.

There are study materials. A good number actually. Free? Not hardly.

Recently, a friend's son had to purchase the online study guide, so he had SOMETHING to study and learn from before his test. He bought 100 practice questions. He knew them cold. He went and took the 30 question test, and failed.

Why?  Nary one of the 100 practice questions were on the test.  And, a couple that were, had different answers than on the practice questions. Nice.

Certainly the State has a very strong interest in starting these kids out on the right path. Why not make all of the study guides available for free?  What if a family cannot afford to pay?  Send their teen to test, he/she gets lucky and passes, and bang!! Another inexperienced and uneducated driver on the Arizona roads!  Just what we need! As a car accident lawyer in phoenix, the problem continues to rise, there needs to be more ways to educate new and old drivers alike.

Why is this so difficult, when it should be easy.  Does this mark ANY sense?  Really?

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Survey: Adults text more than teens while driving

If you're holding onto the stereotype about foolhardy teens fiddling with their smartphones while driving, you might want to look in the mirror.

In a new survey by AT&T, almost half of adults admitted to texting while driving, compared to a slightly smaller number of teens. About 49% of adults say they've sent a text while behind the wheel, according to a new survey conducted for the mobile company, compared with 43% of teens in a survey from last April.

And here's the thing -- they ALL know it's wrong.  A full 98% of respondents said they're aware that texting and driving isn't safe. (The other 2% scare me more!)

The report is part of AT&T's "It Can Wait" campaign, designed to discourage texting while driving. Started in 2009, the campaign was ramped up last year with a series of somber TV ads featuring people who were injured or killed in car accidents in which a driver was using a phone.

“Through the ‘It Can Wait’ movement, AT&T is collaborating with employers, nonprofits, law enforcement, educators, legislators, professional associations and government agencies nationwide," said Cathy Coughlin, AT&T's global marketing officer, in a written statement. "I'm confident, together we can save lives by encouraging millions more to make the personal commitment never to text and drive."

Despite the broad awareness about the dangers of texting behind the wheel, the survey suggests that the problem is getting worse. Six out of every 10 respondents said that they never used to text while driving, but now…...   Alternatively, 40% of the people who admit to texting in the survey say it's a habit, not just an occasional slip-up.

Drivers who are texting are 23 times more likely to get into an accident than other drivers, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.  The report comes as National Distracted Driving Month is set to begin on Monday. AT&T is urging employers to start programs encouraging workers to take no-texting pledges. 

The recent survey was of 1,011 adult drivers in the U.S. who own cell phones.

The teen survey was conducted last April with 1,200 drivers between 15 and 19 years old.

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Why training is the most important thing for your teen driver

Why training is the most important thing for your teen driver

Auto Accidents are the number one killer among teens in the United States. A young person’s risk of being hurt or killed in an accident increases after the age of 12. The key to almost every accident?  A combination of distracted driving and inexperience.

It is a fact:  Car crashes end more teen lives every day than cancer, homicide and suicide combined. Many of the injured teens are passengers of other teen drivers. So even if you’re not yet driving, you can educate yourself for safer travels on the road.

Riding with a teen driver can be dangerous. Due to inexperience, most simply don’t know how to handle a situation where it might require a quick decision/reaction in order to avoid an accident. These dangers increase tremendously at night. Most teen drivers still have yet to get the needed practice in driving at night which can lead to serious consequences. The only circumstance more dangerous than teen night driving?  Cell phones.  Calls and texts and Instagrams and emails.   These distractions cut a teen’s attention span nearly in half. Not good for ANYONE, bur especially an inexperienced driver.

It’s important make sure that your teen has experience and practice before heading out onto the big roads. Though they might have their license, it doesn’t mean that they won’t learn more while you are in the vehicle with them. Education and training is paramount to keeping everyone safe.

Also remember, seat-belts save lives.  Make this a requirement for your teen driver (and yourself).

Safe driving, and good luck!

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Arizona teen drivers face cellphone ban under Senate bill

Arizona lawmakers are going after teenage drivers who use wireless devices more specifically those who either talk and or text while driving in Arizona. A Senate committee advanced a bill Wednesday seeking to prohibit teenagers from using cellphones and other wireless devices while they have their learner's permit and during the first six months of their license.

The bill moved forward in a 3-1 vote. Republican Sen. Gail Griffin says she would not support the ban until other distractions, such as music, are addressed.  Supporters say the ban would protect the state's youngest and most inexperienced drivers (as well as the rest of us!).

Under the proposed law, police officers could only stop violators under age 18 if they are also suspected of committing another traffic offense, such as speeding. This is called a "secondary enforcement" law. In my opinion, this part of the bill is absurd.  A police officer sees a young driver on the cell phone--talking or texting in violation of the law--but they can only take action if the driver is speeding, weaving, running a stop sign, etc...  

Why let it get that far? Isn't the purpose to prevent and stop dangerous driving?  We have to wait for an accident to occur in order to cite a driver in violation of this law.  Does that make sense?

The National Safety Council says more than 100,000 crashes per year are linked to drivers reading or texting while driving. Perhaps, if we actually ENFORCED such a law properly, we could cut down on some of these.

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Falling asleep behind the wheel: 1 in 24 adults do it

p>According to a recent survey, 1 in 24 adults have fallen asleep while driving.  

With these statistics, many officials think the number is actually higher, but many people do not realize they have fallen asleep while behind the wheel.

In a government study released Thursday , over four percent of adults in the U.S. have admitted to falling asleep at least one time in the last month.  Some earlier studies reached a similar conclusion, but the survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was far larger. The study also found that drowsy drivers are more common among men and between the ages of 25 and 34.

The results are from a survey of 147,000 adults in 2009 and 2010.

We all know that distracted driving can lead to catastrophic car accidents. Falling asleep at the wheel is no exception. There needs to be precautions taken in order to keep all drivers safe while on the road. Those who fall asleep behind the wheel shouldn't be behind the wheel in the first place.

Is there a way to put a stop to this? A technology that can detect when someone is drifting into another lane?  Perhaps, but not available yet--as far as I am aware.  

Rule #1, as in all driving situations, is "reason" and "caution".

 If any confusion at all, re-read Rule #1.  

End of story.

Teen drinking declining but still a big problem

Teen drinking has dropped more than 54% over the last two decades. The issue is that still over 1 million teens still ended up behind a wheel after drinking, according to a new study.

Out of those who did drink and drive in 2010, 1 in 5 fatal accidents were a result of a drunk driver. Also, over 80 percent of those who were arrested for a dui, were over the legal adult limit according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Binge drinking, which was defined as having at least five alcoholic drinks within a few hours, was reported by 85 percent of high school teens who noted drinking and driving in the past month.

"We are moving in the right direction," said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the CDC director. "But we must keep up the momentum," because 1 in 10 high school teens drinks and drives each month, endangering themselves and others.

For the report, CDC researchers analyzed data gathered during the Youth Risk Behavior Surveys between 1991 and 2011. In these national surveys, high school students were asked if they had driven a vehicle after drinking alcohol at least during the previous 30 days.

Drinking and driving was reported to be higher among males instead of females, in which the majority of those drinking and driving were over the age of 18.

Parents' efforts to get involved in their teens' lives can help keep them safe, according to the report. Parents can model safe-driving behavior and use tools such as parent-teen driving agreements.

Research has also shown that laws establishing a minimum legal drinking age, zero-tolerance laws and a graduated driver-licensing system can protect teen drivers.

As a Phoenix Car Accident Lawyer, there are many examples where drinking and driving have come into a situation. The outcome of the situations never ends well. The statistics though optimistic, are still too high considering that those drinking are still under the legal age to drink in the first place.

We all see the campaigns that are put into stopping horrible accidents from occuring, yet people still do not learn. Hopefully we keep making big strides in eliminating drinking and driving even more than it has been diminished already.

Drive safe everyone!