Distracted Driving

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.

Injuries resulted from two collisions Monday morning on Highway 378 in Conway, report news sources.

According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the first collision occurred shortly after 6:30 a.m. when one vehicle attempted to pass another and was struck by a third vehicle. It was reported that there were multiple injuries in the crash. It is unclear whether an 18-wheeler was involved in the collision or whether it was simply parked nearby the crash site.

The second crash occurred when a vehicle slammed into the original collision as a driver from the first collision got out of a vehicle to check whether the other driver involved in the first crash was okay.

Authorities are treating the two accidents separately.

Being a Charleston car accident lawyer, I am well aware of the types of injuries that can be suffered in a crash. I wish the people who were injured a rapid recovery from their injuries. 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 always to practice safe driving habits and to stay alert to changing road and traffic conditions.

A recent study found that reaction times doubled in drivers who attempted to text and drive, report news sources.

Researchers from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute asked 42 study participants, ages 16 to 54, to drive on an 11-mile closed course. Drivers operated a vehicle under normal, undistracted conditions and while attempting to either text or read a message on a mobile phone. Researchers tracked the reaction times of the drivers to a flashing light in both scenarios.

The study found that under undistracted driving conditions, reaction times were about a second or two. However in the distraction scenario reaction times rose to three of four seconds. Researchers also observed that the distracted drivers were also 11 time more likely to not see the flashing light at all.

As a Sumter car accident attorney, motorist safety is something that I am very conscious of; I encourage drivers to avoid distractions like texting and using mobile devices behind the wheel. Because of my experience as a Sumter 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.

A recent safety poll conducted by AAA found that while most motorists know that distracted driving is dangerous—including texting and chatting on a cell phone behind the wheel—they don’t necessarily act accordingly, report news sources.

Pollsters surveyed 3,147 U.S. residents age 16 and older with the majority of the questions focusing on cell phone use behind the wheel. The results of the survey found that while most American drivers were aware that distracted driving is dangerous (including 88 percent who saw talking on the phone as a problem and 95 percent who were down on texting or emailing behind the wheel) a good number of respondents (68 percent) admitted to talking on their mobile phone while behind the wheel in the last 30 days, and 35 percent said they’d read or typed text messages while driving.

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 a mobile phone while driving. 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.

According to a recent survey, most Americans (85 percent) believe cars are safer today than they were 10 years ago; however close to two thirds (63 percent) of the poll participants reported that they think drivers rely too heavily on technology to operate their cars. Twenty-nine percent of participants said they believe technology has made people better drivers.

The study found that the majority of Americans (90 percent) are either somewhat or very familiar with GPS devices, while 77 percent reported familiarity with Bluetooth hands-free calling. (For the record, both GPS devises and mobile phone conversations, hands-free or not, are driving distractions).

As for car safety technology, 42 percent of respondents reported being either very or somewhat familiar with electronic stability control, which improves steering and helps prevent rollover accidents. Another 31 percent said that they were unaware of the system.

As a Moncks Corner car accident lawyer, roadway safety is something that I am very conscious of; I encourage drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to be mindful of their surroundings. Because of my experience as a Moncks Corner personal injury attorney, I am very aware of the split-second difference between everything seeming fine and a terrible vehicle crash. I urge all roadway users to always practice safe travel habits.

For many, the sight of a squirrel in the road brings on a moment of panic: “Do I continue straight; should I stop? Maybe if I swerve I’ll miss it!” The cold hard facts are that erring on the side of human safety tends to be the best policy, report media sources.

When faced with the danger of a predator, squirrels stop still, run in one direction, and then quickly dart in the exact opposite direction. This behavior is just as likely to confuse a predator, as it is a motorist. What to do? Experts recommend continuing along your path at your current speed.

Neither swerving nor braking are considered safe options because you could lose control of your vehicle, your brakes could lock, or worse, you could cause an accident involving other vehicles. In the case of an accident involving other vehicles, you will be liable.

As a Walterboro auto accident attorney, motorist safety is something that I am very conscious of; I encourage drivers to stay aware of their surroundings and changing road conditions. Because of my experience as a Walterboro 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.

According to recent studies from Virginia Tech and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving now plays a part in 80 percent of all car accidents and contributes to about 5,500 auto fatalities a year.

The NHTSA offers several tips to make the road safer, less stressful and more enjoyable. All you need is a little preparation before you set out.

Choose your music, set the temperature to a comfortable level and make any other control adjustments that you need to make before embarking. If any of these needs to be changed later on, pull over to the side of the road or wait until you’re stationary.

Before leaving, check your phone messages and make any necessary calls. Even if you use a hands-free unit, the safest approach is to avoid using the phone while driving. Never use a phone while in heavy traffic, inclement weather or other dangerous road conditions.

Program your GPS device before you leave, if you use one. Review the route to familiarize yourself so that you don’t have to look at it as often. Allow enough time to make the trip without having to rush.

Never travel with unrestrained pets in the vehicle. An excited animal can be a dangerous distraction and can also interfere with your control of the vehicle.

Take car of personal grooming before you leave, or wait until you arrive.

As a Spartanburg car accident lawyer, I know that distracted driving incidents are on the rise, with texting-while-driving being a major contributor to recent crashes. I hope that by providing this information, drivers are able to stay safer on the road. If you’ve been injured in an accident that you believe was caused by the distracted driving of another, call a car accident lawyer in your area to learn about the legal options open to you.

News sources reported that AT&T launched their DriveMode application as part of the company’s “It Can Wait” campaign to curb distracted driving habits, such as texting while behind the wheel.

Once the consumer has downloaded the app, DriveMode sends an automated reply to incoming text messages to let the sender know that the user is driving and unable to respond. Users can customize the automatic message and the app can also be used to disable emails, Internet browsing, and both incoming and outgoing calls for those without hands-free or Bluetooth devices. According to the US Department of Transportation, texting is one of the main distractions to driving in the country along with reading, cell phone use, conversations with passengers and grooming.

This new safety application is now available for Blackberry devices and the company expects that it will be available for others in future months. Last year, AT&T presented the short documentary film “The Last Text”, which featured stories of those that have been impacted by texting-while-driving incidents.

As a Charleston car accident lawyer, I’m well aware of the prevalence of distracted driving accidents and I encourage drivers to avoid distractions like texting while behind the wheel. In my time as a car accident lawyer, I’ve seen on multiple occasions how a split-second difference between everything seeming fine and a tragic vehicle accident. I implore all motorists to practice safe driving habits at all times.

A woman who was traveling the wrong direction on Interstate 26 was killed in a three-car accident Sunday, according to news reports.

The accident occurred around 1 a.m. Sunday when a 28-year-old woman was driving a 2002 Saturn eastbound in the westbound lane of I-26 when she collided head-on with a 2007 Toyota Corolla.

The 28-year-old was reportedly trapped in her vehicle following the collision. She was pronounced dead at the scene from severe head injuries and body trauma.

Two other victims in the crash were transported to Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital. Their current conditions are unknown.

South Carolina Highway Patrol investigators and the Lexington County Coroner’s Office are working to determine all the factors in the crash.

As a Columbia car accident attorney, I’m saddened to hear about this car accident. I hope that drinking and driving didn’t play a factor in this crash. I hope investigators can determine how this crash occurred so an accident like this can be avoided in the future.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, contact a personal injury lawyer in Columbia.