A hit and run accident occurs every minute on U.S. roads and nearly 65% of all hit and run accident victims are pedestrians or cyclists. Sadly, a 2018 AAA study found that hit and run accidents are on the rise across the United States In fact, in 2016 alone, the most recent year for statistics, there were 2,049 deaths from hit and run accidents, a 60% increase from 2009. Why are hit and run accidents increasing?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2017 saw the largest increase in trucking accident fatalities in 29 years. According to many in the trucking industry, this increase in trucking accident fatalities may be tied directly to drivers’ resistance to federal trucking rules mandated in recent years. Many truck drivers are breaking the federal rule that requires a rest break after eight straight hours of driving. Why are these drivers breaking “rest break” rules? Pressure to deliver their loads quickly may be partly to blame.
Unpredictable weather can add a significant challenge to operating a vehicle safely, and the winter months can bring more than their fair share of unpredictability. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 17 percent of all vehicle crashes happen during winter driving conditions. Road conditions and visibility can change quickly, without much warning, and require drivers to take extra care when on the road. Reducing speed, allowing for extra time to reach your destination, and choosing not to drive in poor weather conditions unless absolutely necessary are just some of the ways of reducing the risk of winter driving accidents.
Trucking accidents are almost always catastrophic. Due to the size of large commercial trucks, semi trucks, and big rigs, they can cause massive amounts of damage and life threatening injuries to anyone involved in the accident. Unfortunately, the majority of the injuries sustained are to the occupants of passenger vehicles. Yet, even when trucking accidents are clearly the fault of the truck driver or the trucking company, trucking accident victims don’t always get the money they need to recover. That’s why it’s extremely important to reach out to a lawyer after a trucking accident for help.
Cell phones have changed the way we interact with our friends and family, how we work, and how we manage our day. They’ve made us excellent multi-taskers by giving us the world at our fingertips. Yet, sadly, they’ve also made us worse drivers. Throughout the last decade, drivers have been increasingly more distracted behind the wheel and cell phones are largely to blame. Even though the majority of states have enacted some form of distracted driving laws, cell phone car accident cases continue to be a common legal problem.
Fatal car accidents involving teenagers are now on the rise. In 2015 alone, there was a 9% increase in fatal driving among teenagers. This is particularly upsetting because for years, the number of teenage fatal car accidents was on the decline and heading in the right direction. Now, new research reveals that teenagers drivers are actually more likely to be involved in a serious or deadly crash than any other age group. This is a sobering fact for parents everywhere and one that has safety experts wondering, “how can we keep our teens safe behind the wheel?” Here are some helpful safe driving tips for teenage drivers that all parents should know:
A tragic hit and run accident occurred at a Denver intersection in September, when a teenage boy was struck and killed by a drunk driver while crossing the street. The fatal accident occurred at the intersection of Wadsworth Boulevard and West 100th Avenue just after 11pm. The driver immediately fled the scene of the accident but was apprehended and arrested a short distance away. He was immediately charged with Failure to Report an Accident, Hit and Run Involving a Death, and Driving Under the Influence.
Despite the fact that the law in Colorado requires the owner of every car, truck, and motorcycle to have insurance for their vehicle, there are a concerning number of uninsured motorists on the roads in Colorado. According to a study conducted by the Insurance Information Institute in 2015, 13.3% of motorists are uninsured. Even more concerning, this statistic is up from 12.6% as of 2012. As the number of uninsured motorists, or underinsured motorists rises, so do the chances that you may be involved in an accident with an uninsured driver.
Sleep is a necessary and critical component of a healthy lifestyle. Yet, Americans routinely do not get enough sleep every night, often turning to herbal supplements, coffee, and energy drinks just to make it through the work week. From doctors to construction workers, no one is immune to the effects of sleep deprivation and everyone at some point drives fatigued. Sadly, driving while drowsy can result in serious and often fatal car accidents.
Commercial truck drivers must go through weeks of specialized training in order to obtain their commercial driver’s license. However, is this enough training to adequately prevent serious and catastrophic trucking accidents from occurring? Are commercial truck drivers getting enough training?These are the questions facing trucking safety experts across the country. This is because there has been a steady and growing trend in trucking fatalities in recent years, largely due to distracted driving, driver fatigue, and inadequate training.