Distracted Driving

What started as a local safety awareness project in Virginia has become a national campaign complete with video competition and a scholarship, all aimed at urging teens not to text and drive, report news sources.

The initiative, Project Yellow Light, recently received support from the Ad Council and the National Organizations for Youth Safety. Project Yellow light is holding a safety ad competition that is open to seniors in high school. Entrants to the competition, which begins December 1, are asked to produce a video that is no longer than 60 seconds on the hazards of texting while driving. The winner will receive a scholarship of at least $2,000, and the winning entry will be submitted to 1,600 televisions stations.

Project Yellow Light was started memory of a Spotsylvania County, Va., teen who died in a car crash in June 2007. He parents started the safety initiative and video competition a year later at their son’s high school.

As a Beaufort auto accident lawyer, motorist safety is something that I am very conscious of. I encourage drivers to avoid distractions like texting while driving. Because of my experience as a Beaufort personal injury attorney, I am very aware of the split-second difference between everything seeming fine and a terrible vehicle crash. I urge motorists to always practice safe driving habits.

A recent survey found that while most American motorists believe that drowsy driving is unacceptable behavior, almost a third of respondents admitted to recently driving while sleepy, report news sources.

The study, conducted by the AAA Foundation or Traffic Safety, revealed that 96 percent of U.S. drivers did not think drowsy driving was appropriate on the roads; however close to one third of those polled reported that in the past month that they had driven while they were so sleepy that they couldn’t keep their eyes open. A 2010 AAA study found that almost one sixth of all fatal crashes and one in eight of crashes that result in serious injury involved drowsy driving.

This year’s findings come just ahead of Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, which is hosted by the National Sleep Foundation and runs November 6 through 12.

As a Sumter car accident lawyer, motorist safety is something that I am very conscious of. I encourage drivers to avoid getting behind the wheel while sleepy. Because of my experience as a Sumter personal injury attorney, I am very aware of the split-second difference between everything seeming fine and a terrible vehicle crash. I urge motorists to always practice safe driving habits.

According to a recent survey motorists are hoping the vehicles of the future will enable them to make more productive use of drive time and integrate more efficiently with mobile technologies, report news sources.

The overarching conclusion drawn form the “Driving the Connected Consumer” survey was that connected consumers believe that society has been brought closer together by technology, but that vehicles lag behind home and work setups for maintaining that connectivity and productivity.

Some of the connectivity boosting technologies that consumers reported wanted to have available during their commutes included the ability to use voice to type and send emails and text messages as well as instant updates for weather and traffic. Consumers were also willing to put their money where there mouths are, with 80 percent of respondents saying that they were willing to pay extra for these voice-activated features.

As a Charleston car accident lawyer, motorist safety is something that I am very conscious of. Perhaps voice-activated technologies will allow drivers to stay safe and connected. Because of my experience as a Charleston personal injury attorney, I am very aware of the split-second difference between everything seeming fine and a terrible vehicle crash. I urge motorists to always practice safe driving habits including avoiding distractions like texting while behind the wheel.

When most people think impaired driving, the image that comes to mind is someone whose intoxicated behind the wheel, but there is another type of impairment that many overlook, say driver resources: drowsy driving.

Safety measures

The best way to avoid drowsy driving is to take preventative measures. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep, especially before long road trips. Avoid driving between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.

If drowsiness kicks in while on the road, the best thing to do is simply stop driving. Either switch drivers or pull over for a little while. Even a short nap of 15 to 20 minutes can make a big difference in a driver’s alertness and ability to respond to changing traffic conditions. As a short-term, temporary solution, consuming the caffeine-equivalent of two cups of coffee can provide a boost of alertness.

As a Walterboro auto accident lawyer, motorist safety is something that I am very conscious of. I encourage drivers to stay safe and avoid driving while tired. Because of my experience as a Walterboro personal injury attorney, I am very aware of the split-second difference between everything seeming fine and a terrible vehicle crash. I urge motorists to always practice safe driving habits.

When most people think impaired driving, the image that comes to mind is someone whose intoxicated behind the wheel, but there is another type of impairment that many overlook, say driver resources: drowsy driving.

Risk factors

Sleep loss and inadequate sleep are linked to drowsy driving, meaning that either not getting enough sleep or poor or interrupted sleep are leading to higher-risk driving. Certain disorders (for example, sleep apnea and narcolepsy) contribute to drowsy driving because they either prevent a good night’s sleep or cause a driver to be sleepy behind the wheel.

Drowsiness is also a side effect of some medications, including antihistamines and antidepressants. Alcohol consumption can also contribute to drowsiness.

Another contributing factor to drowsiness behind the wheel is driving patterns, including driving during the hours between midnight and 6 a.m., driving a large number of hours in a day or throughout the year, and driving for a long period of time without a break.

As a Spartanburg car accident attorney, motorist safety is something that I am very conscious of. I encourage drivers to stay safe and avoid driving while tired. Because of my experience as a Spartanburg personal injury lawyer, I am very aware of the split-second difference between everything seeming fine and a terrible vehicle crash. I urge motorists to always practice safe driving habits.

When most people think impaired driving, the image that comes to mind is someone whose intoxicated behind the wheel, but there is another type of impairment that many overlook, say driver resources: drowsy driving.

The impact

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study conducted in 2002 to investigate driver behavior, 37 percent of drivers have either nodded off or fallen asleep while driving. Additionally, the NHTSA estimates that drowsy driving contributes to around 100,000 motor vehicle crashes each year with approximately 40,000 people suffering injuries and 1,550 more losing their lives.

Drowsiness, like other driving impairments, increases reaction times, making drivers slower to respond to changing traffic conditions. A drowsy driver’s ability to pay attention and process information are also negatively impacted. All of this means that being drowsy behind the wheel makes it harder for a driver to avoid a crash.

As a Sumter auto accident lawyer, motorist safety is something that I am very conscious of. I encourage drivers to stay safe and avoid driving while tired. Because of my experience as a Sumter personal injury attorney, I am very aware of the split-second difference between everything seeming fine and a terrible vehicle crash. I urge motorists to always practice safe driving habits.

Attendees of this year’s Coastal Carolina Fair are getting a hands-on lesson in roadway safety courtesy of the South Carolina Highway Patrol, report news sources.

Featured at the fair is a machine that allows a sober person to experience what driving under the influence is really like. The machine does this by altering depth perception and encouraging drivers to overcorrect their actions. The machine also simulates distracted driving, including texting or using a cell phone behind the wheel.

A $20,000 grant from the Office of Highway Safety made it possible for the simulator to be at the Costal Carolina and State fairs. According to the Highway Patrol, South Carolina has the third highest rate for alcohol-related fatalities.

As a Charleston auto accident lawyer, motorist safety is something that I am very conscious of. I encourage drivers never to drink and drive to avoid distractions like texting behind the wheel. Because of my experience as a Charleston personal injury attorney, I am very aware of the split-second difference between everything seeming fine and a terrible vehicle crash. I urge motorists to always practice safe driving habits.

A recent survey found that a majority of parents have been distracted by mobile phones or other devices while teaching their children to drive, report news sources.

The poll, conducted on behalf of a national insurance agency, revealed that 53 percent of parents reported being distracted at least one time while teaching their teenaged children the ins and outs of operating a motor vehicle. The teens questioned about their parents’ distraction put the number higher reporting that 61 percent of parents succumbed to distraction while teaching them to drive.

As for role modeling safe device usage, 43 percent of parents reported using a cell phone behind the wheel while their teen was in the car; however, again, teens put the number higher saying that 54 percent of parents engaged in calling-while-driving behavior while the teen was in the car.

As a Charleston auto accident lawyer, motorist safety is something that I am very conscious of. I encourage drivers, both adults and teens alike, to avoid distractions like calling and texting behind the wheel. Because of my experience as a Charleston personal injury attorney, I am very aware of the split-second difference between everything seeming fine and a terrible vehicle crash. I urge motorists to always practice safe driving habits.

A woman died Wednesday after being hospitalized for injuries suffered in a single-vehicle collision, report news sources.

According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the 2 p.m. crash occurred on Jones Bridge Road approximately three miles north of Blackville when the truck that the Blackville woman was in went off the right side of the road as it was traveling northbound, overturned and struck a fence post.

The woman was transported to an Augusta, Ga., medical center where she succumbed to her injuries at around 5 p.m., according to the Barnwell County Coroner’s Office.

Investigators say toxicology reports indicate that alcohol was present in the woman’s body. The incident remains under investigation by the Highway Patrol.

As a Walterboro auto accident attorney, I have witnessed first-hand the shock and grief of those left behind after an unexpected death. My heartfelt condolences go out to the woman’s family, friends and loved ones. Being a Walterboro personal injury lawyer, I know how important it is for grieving people to have a strong support network. I hope the woman’s loved ones are getting the care and support they need during this difficult time.

A recent study found that technology devices in law enforcement vehicles contribute to distracted driving and law enforcement-involved crashes, report news sources.

Researchers at St Mary’s University of Minnesota studied 380 cases from 2006 through 2010 and found that at least one, sometimes more, form of distracted driving, whether visual, manual or cognitive, played a significant role in about 14 percent of law enforcement crashes. A nationwide study for around the same time period conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that close to 18 percent of civilian crashes resulted from distracted driving.

Neither the university nor the federal study was able to pin down how often technological devices were the cause of the distraction, but the university researchers found that 12 percent of claims were from traffic incidents involving technology in some way. Officer’s mobile data computers were involved in half of those claims.

As a Greenville car accident lawyer, motorist safety is something that I am very conscious of; I encourage drivers to avoid distractions like texting and talking on the phone. Because of my experience as a Greenville personal injury attorney, I am very aware of the split-second difference between everything seeming fine and a terrible vehicle crash. I urge motorists to always practice safe driving habits.