Car Accidents
Distracted Driving Continues to Put Drivers, Others at Risk
Despite campaigns by Colorado and other states to raise awareness of distracted driving risks and encourage drivers to keep their attention on the road, distracted driving continues to claim thousands of lives throughout the U.S. each year and to cause serious injuries to drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and others on the road. Many experienced Colorado distracted driving injury attorneys have seen too many clients injured by just a moment’s loss of focus.
In 2011, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) released a detailed study of distracted driving. Key findings included:
Most drivers are distracted between 25 and 50 percent of the time while they are behind the wheel.
What are the Causes and Effects of Single-Vehicle Rollovers in Colorado?
When a single-vehicle rollover accident occurs, it’s common to assume that the driver was somehow at fault. However, other factors can also lead to a rollover crash that does not involve more than one vehicle. Negligent drivers of other vehicles, roadway obstacles, adverse weather conditions, and defective vehicle steering or tires may also be to blame.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), rollover accidents have a higher fatality rate than most other accidents on the road. One NHTSA study found that although only two percent of accidents on U.S. roads in any given year are rollovers, these fatal car accidents claim 23 percent of the lives lost in U.S. crashes every year.
Does Opioid Use Increase Car Accident Risks? One Study Says Yes
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) indicates that the risk of a serious car accident is linked to long-term opioid use – and that the risk of a crash goes up along with the dose.
The study examined patients who were prescribed varying strengths of opioids like oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl. It looked both at patients who were taking the medications for the first time, those who had recently had their doses increased, and those who had been on a stable dose for a period of time.
Six Signs You’re Too Tired to Drive
Drowsy driving can be as dangerous as drunk driving, according to a study by the AAA Foundation. However, as many as 10 percent of drivers actually take the risk of drowsy driving at least once per week, and 33 percent have done so in the past month. This is despite the fact that 96 percent of drivers who answered a AAA Foundation survey about drowsy driving agreed that it’s dangerous to drive when you’re sleepy.
How do you know if you’re too drowsy to drive? Here are six signs it’s not safe to be behind the wheel, courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation:
How to Properly Use a Seat Belt While Pregnant
Every driver and passenger should wear a seat belt when riding in a vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including those who are pregnant. The NHTSA provides tips on how best to use your seat belt when you’re pregnant, including the following:
- Always wear your seat belt. Even if your car has air bags, wearing a seat belt is necessary to ensure the air bags do the job they’re designed to do in a crash. Wear the shoulder belt across your chest and away from your shoulders, and tuck the lap belt below your pregnant belly so that it sits snugly across your hips and pelvic bone.
- Move your seat. If you’re riding in the front seat while pregnant, move the seat as far back as possible. If you’re driving, put the seat as far back as you can while still reaching the pedals. Aim to keep at least 10 inches between your chest and the steering wheel or dashboard.
- Don’t turn off your air bags. Air bags and seat belts are designed to work together to provide protection in a crash. Most doctors recommend that pregnant women do not turn off the air bags in their vehicles.
Holiday Safety Tips for Colorado Drivers
Many U.S. residents travel to see friends or family during the holidays, and most of them make their trip by car. All this extra traffic increases the risk of a car accident, resulting in more deaths and injuries on Colorado roads than usual. To protect yourself and your family from harm the holidays, consider the following safety tips:
- Don’t drive if you’ve been drinking alcohol or using other drugs. Even some prescription and over-the-counter medications can make you too sleepy or impaired to drive. Instead, plan ahead so that a sober and alert driver is behind the wheel, or find a different way home.
- Plan your trip well in advance. Leave extra time to get to your destination, and get plenty of rest beforehand so that fatigue doesn’t pose an additional challenge.
Officials Hope Westminster, Colorado Traffic Signal Reduces Accident Rates
A new traffic signal will soon be installed on 112th Street in Westminster in front of the entrances to Front Range Community College. Officials hope that the signal will reduce the number of accidents that take place in the vicinity of the community college each year.
Studies have shown that 17 traffic accidents have taken place in front of the community college in the past three years, a higher rate than average for the Westminster area. All of the accidents involved a driver attempting to turn onto 112th Street from the college’s driveway and getting hit by oncoming traffic. Most of the vehicles that were hit in the accidents were trying to turn left at the time, according to researchers.
Installing the traffic signal is a joint project involving the Westminster City Council, Front Range Community College, and the Colorado Department of Transportation. The signal is being funded through a grant from the Department of Transportation and matching funds from the community college. Officials plan to begin installation in September 2013 and finish by November 2013.
Study Links Video Game Play to Reckless Driving Among Teens
Playing certain types of video games may increase the chances that a teen driver will take careless or reckless chances on the road, according to a recent study.
The study followed 5,000 U.S. teens over four years. The teens were interviewed each year, asking questions about their video game play and their driving habits. The first interview revealed that 50 percent of the teens regularly played “mature”-rated video games. One of the most popularly-played games was Grand Theft Auto III, in which reckless driving wins points.
Texting and Driving May Have Deadly Consequences
Sending or receiving text messages while driving a car may seem simple, but it is an activity that can have deadly consequences for you and for others on the road. A documentary produced by telecommunications giant AT&T showcases the dangers of texting and driving through the stories of four people whose lives were changed forever by a distracted driving accident.
On average, a text message distracts a driver’s attention from the road for just under five seconds, according to a 2009 University of Virginia study. At 55 miles per hour, a vehicle travels the length of a football field in five seconds – plenty of space for an accident to occur, especially when a driver is not watching the road carefully.
To Protect Yourself in a Colorado Rollover, Understand How Rollover Accidents Work
A rollover accident is one in which a vehicle rolls onto its side and/or roof. In high-speed or particularly severe rollover accidents, a vehicle may even turn over several times before coming to rest. Rollover accidents have a higher fatality rate than other types of crashes, but understanding how a rollover works can help you protect yourself and others in the vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
About 10,000 people are killed in rollover accidents each year, and thousands more are injured. Although nearly any vehicle may roll in the right circumstances, taller and narrower vehicles are more likely to roll over. In addition, a vehicle that is loaded with cargo over or behind its rear axle is more likely to roll over.