But you did. You just experienced drowsy driving. While much less recognized than its more famous relative drunken driving, but it is still a killer. In the last decade ending in 2010, 11,000 people died in drowsy driving car accidents. The larger question is how to deal with this problem.
]]> Unlike other causes of accidents, drunk driving, illegal or prescription drugs or cellphone use, there is no easy test that can be used to obtain some evidence of how sleepy someone was at the time of an accident.Even the number of deaths may be underreported, as it may not be obvious that a person was driving drowsy. If they were injured or killed, it may be impossible to determine their alertness when they crashed.
What should be done is equally problematic. Legislating against is difficult, because even if an accident occurs if may be very difficult to prove in a court that a driver was too drowsy to drive. This means that prosecutors would be unlikely to file charges, as they would win few cases.
Education and public awareness may provide some help, but eventually, technology may prove the most likely to some solution to this problem. It may be possible to create systems that warn drivers when they are falling asleep and collision avoidance systems could prevent some types of crashes.
Source: The Associated Press, "Drowsy driving remains an elusive highway dilemma", Frank Eltman, May 11, 2013
]]>Recently in Albany, Georgia, a drunk driving father actually caused serious head injuries to his own 6-year-old daughter, according to police. The little girl had to be transported to Macon's Medical Center of Georgia, where she was given treatment in the Intensive Care Unit and said to be in critical condition.
]]> The father was approaching an intersection in his SUV when his vehicle ran into the rear of a tractor trailer that was stopped on the road. The man's daughter was wearing a seatbelt, but she still wasn't properly restrained because she was riding in the front seat.The father initially lied about the circumstances of the crash, according to state police. He claimed that another motorist forced him to leave the roadway and somehow change lanes, but the driver of the semi said that no other vehicles were around at the time of the accident. The truck driver reportedly walked away without injuries.
It took rescue workers 30 minutes to use the Jaws of Life and free the little girl. Members of the police force confirmed that she suffered head injuries.
Now the father is charged with a range of violations, including DUI and child endangerment.
Victims of DUI accidents have rights, and any Georgia resident whose injuries resulted from a negligent drunk driver can sue that driver for some measure of compensation. Such legal action may not return life to the way it was before, but a personal injury claim can lead to compensation for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.
Source: WALB News 10, "UPDATE: Child in ICU after DUI dad's wreck," Ashton Pellom, May 2, 2013
]]>The recommendation comes as distracted driving is being seen as an every greater problem. Cars are coming equipped with more electronic devices, from GPSs and cameras to assist lane changes and backing up, to DVD players and internet enabled devices that even allow web browsing. With more than 3,000 people dying in car accidents in 2011 related to distracted driving, and fears that those numbers will increase as the economy recovers and more distracting electronic devices are placed in cars.
]]> In addition to the deaths, there were almost 400,000 people injured in these distracted driving accidents. These injuries can range from minor scrapes or broken bones, to severe, such as spinal and traumatic brain injuries that require a lifetime of care.Car manufacturers all want to offer the latest and greatest gadgets in their vehicles. DOT is attempting to allow manufacturers develop solutions in a dynamic fashion, as they realize that the changes in technology may move faster than they can issue regulations.
These guidelines recommend that tasks can be completed in two-second intervals, or cumulative 1.5-second intervals, totaling no more than 12 seconds. Keeping a driver's eyes on the road and other drivers is essential to preventing distracted driving accidents.
Source: CNN, "'Two second' safety guideline for cars of the future," Mike M. Ahlers, April 24, 2013
]]>Figuring out how to keep teen drivers out of car accidents is a challenge for any parent. You want them to drive and gain experience, but you worry that they will become distracted by modern conveniences, especially cellphones. Now there is an app that may help, rather than hinder your teen driver.
]]> The University of North Carolina has been working on these issues for many years at UNC's Highway Safety Research Center in Chapel Hill. A senior researcher noted that many young drivers go out on their own with little or no real driving experience and can get into trouble rather quickly. He said there were some, "teens who were getting a license who had never driven at night, never driven in bad weather or on the interstate."UNC developed an app that allows parents and their teens to work to meet goals of obtaining different kinds of driving experience before they are alone. The app enables them to track their progress.
Other products can also help young drivers, but disabling texting or cellphone use when the vehicle is moving. Driving is a dangerous activity and inexperienced drivers need all the help they can get.
Source: USA Today, "Honk if you love apps that protect teen drivers," Larry Copeland, April 8, 2013
]]>But there is something even more distracting than that cell phone. According to a study that looked at the 65,000 fatal motor vehicle accidents from the last two years, 62 percent of the distracted drivers where "lost in thought" when the accident occurred. Cell phones only were responsible for 12 percent of the distraction.
]]> Of course, this study was based on information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). The number of cell phones that were involved in distracted driving accident may be underreported, since the data for FARS is drawn from police reports, and survivors may not want to admit that they were using a cellphone or other electronic device. The other data limitation is that there often is variation in how law enforcement reports aspects of a collision.Nonetheless, it serves as a good warning to all drivers that they should focus on the job at hand, driving their vehicle in a safe manner. During April, paying attention is the best way to observe National Distracted Driving Month.
Source: Automotive.com, "Being "Lost in Thought" Leads to Driving Fatalities," Megan Stewart, April 4, 2013
]]>This type of nightmare driving condition is common throughout the East Coast and the Appalachians in Georgia, and Easter Sunday, it occurred on the border of North Carolina and Virginia, as fog closed around dozens of motorists, causing fatal, chain reaction accidents. Three people were killed and 25 were injured in car and truck accidents involving 95 vehicles.
]]> Fog and highway driving makes for a particularly deadly mix, because even if you slow enough to avoid hitting another vehicle, and manage to stop, you have no assurance that any vehicles following yours are going to stop in time. The Virginia State Police reported that there were 17 accidents within a 1.5-mile stretch of I-77 through Fancy Gap Mountain.The crash led to a 16-hour closure of the southbound lanes while emergency personnel removed the damaged and destroyed vehicles. The Charlotte Observer reported that this was the fifth fog related multi-vehicle crash that has occurred on this section of I-77.
The fog is dangerous enough on this part of the interstate that there are warning signs, which had been operational Sunday. The state police reported that visibility dropped to about 100 feet in a matter of seconds as cars descended a steep grade.
At 65 mph, a vehicle is moving at nearly 88 feet per second, meaning that drivers would have had slightly over one second to react and stop their vehicles.
Over the years, at least five drivers have been killed on this highway and in 2010, 75 vehicles were involved in a mass crash that left two dead.
Source: Charlotte Observer, "I-77 open after 95-vehicle crash that killed 3," Steve Lyttle, April 1, 2013
]]>Motorcycle riders are at a constant state of risk for these types of accidents. Motorcycles provide very little protection for a rider in the event of an accident, and can contribute to additional injuries, should the cycle slide on to the rider.
Many motorcycle accidents prove fatal to the rider, and even if he escapes with comparatively minor injuries, he may still be facing a long road to recovery. He may need multiple surgeries to repair his damaged leg and head injuries are always dangerous. Motorcycle and car crashes always pose the risk of traumatic brain injuries.
Anytime you have been in an accident with injuries, you should speak with a personal injury attorney, to ensure your rights are protected and you obtain adequate compensation to cover your medical expenses.
Source: Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch, "Two Injured in Friday Night Crash Near Canton," Kristal Dixon, March 23, 2013
]]> The minivan driver had also complained of neck and back pain and was taken to a hospital. The trooper also indicated that the motorcycle driver was facing charges for the incident, though he did not elaborate.Motorcycle riders are at a constant state of risk for these types of accidents. Motorcycles provide very little protection for a rider in the event of an accident, and can contribute to additional injuries, should the cycle slide on to the rider.
Many motorcycle accidents prove fatal to the rider, and even if he escapes with comparatively minor injuries, he may still be facing a long road to recovery. He may need multiple surgeries to repair his damaged leg and head injuries are always dangerous. Motorcycle and car crashes always pose the risk of traumatic brain injuries.
Anytime you have been in an accident with injuries, you should speak with a personal injury attorney, to ensure your rights are protected and you obtain adequate compensation to cover your medical expenses.
Source: Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch, "Two Injured in Friday Night Crash Near Canton," Kristal Dixon, March 23, 2013
]]>There is a growing body of research that indicates that concussions, while not all leading to traumatic brain injury, nonetheless, are not the minor, non-event, that many have been treated as over the years. The ABC news story discusses a girl playing soccer, who suffered three blows to the head within a few days, and ends up "disoriented and having memory lapses."
]]> While the coaching staff did not suggest seeing a doctor, the girl eventually told her parents what she was feeling and they took her a doctor, where she was diagnosed with a concussion and told not to play for a few months.New guidance would insist that after the first blow to the head, she would have been taken out of the game and not permitted to return until she had been examined by licensed health care professional trained in concussion.
The new guidelines, released by the American Academy of Neurology, are based on "a more individualized approach to concussion management." They also stress that athletes should be returned slowly to playing after the symptoms of the concussion have ceased.
It also should lead to differential treatment for younger athletes, and they should be given adequate time to recover, as research indicates it takes longer for their bodies to recover from the effect of a concussion.
Source: ABC News, "Experts: New Sports Concussion Rules a Game Changer," Liz Neporent, March 19, 2013
]]>In 2011, highway deaths fell to 32,367, the lowest number in absolute terms, since recordkeeping of these statistics began in 1949. Nonetheless, in 2010, 31 percent or 10,228 deaths resulted from alcohol impaired motor vehicle accidents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that 30 people die every day in the U.S. in drunk driving accidents.
]]> In Columbia County last week, one of those deaths resulted in the conviction of an Evans man. He was charged with first-degree vehicular homicide and running a red light. Prosecutors asked for, and obtained, a 12-year prison sentence for the man.He will also have to serve four years probation, alcohol treatment, restitution and 500 hours of community service. The community service will be served by speaking about the consequences of substance abuse and drunk driving.
The man had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.281, which is four times the legal limit in Georgia, when his F-250 struck the side of a Honda Accord driven by a 19-year-old girl who was killed.
People sometimes suggest it is unrealistic to propose that drunk driving deaths could be reduced to zero. We suspect they probably have not suffered the loss of their daughter in such an accident.
Source: The Augusta Chronicle, "Man gets 12 years in fatal Evans crash," Valerie Rowell, March 7, 2013
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