Category: Car Accidents

There are all sorts of laws aimed at protecting teen drivers and passengers. In addition to laws that limit talking on a cellphone while driving, and banning texting while driving, there are also graduated licensing laws in some states to slowly introduce teens to driving.

A new study, though, finds that one way to get teens to put down their phones while they are behind the wheel is to listen to fellow teenage passengers. And it may be preventing car accidents.

Of course, having teen passengers in a car driven by a teen is a risk in itself as a study earlier this year showed. In April, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety issued a report that revealed that teenage drivers are much more likely to die in a crash if they are carrying teen passengers in the car.

But a new survey by Consumer Reports finds that nearly half of the 1,000 teens surveyed said that they were less likely to talk on a cellphone while driving if they had peers in the car with them. In general, 27 percent responded that they had texted while driving, and 47 percent had talked on a non-hands-free phone.

But teens overwhelmingly said that they believe that distracted driving is a big problem. And 49 percent of them reported asking a fellow teen driver to put down a phone to avoid distracted driving.

It’s hard to know what to make of the data. Does it mean that all the news stories about the dangers of texting and talking on the phone while driving are finally starting to get through? We can hope.

Source: Chicago Tribune, “Can teens prevent friends from texting while driving?” Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz, May 30, 2012

As recent research has shown, a teen driver with multiple teen passengers in the car is more likely to get into car accidents than a teen driving alone or with older passengers. A recent wreck in Knox County seems to lend credence to that argument.

An 18-year-old woman was driving a Subaru with five teenage passengers. According to Knox County officers, the teens left someone’s house late at night and were “goofing off.” Driver error apparently led the vehicle to miss a turn, and it crashed into a tree on Mourfield Road near Bluegrass Road.

Many of the students, including seniors who graduated from the Christian Academy of Knoxville last week, were injured. One, a basketball player at the school, underwent surgery over the weekend after she suffered internal injuries and head trauma. She also suffered several facial fractures.

Doctors say that she has made good progress as she recovers at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. In the meantime, her friends, family and others at the school were keeping vigil. All of the passengers involved in the crash stayed with the family at the hospital.

Other injuries suffered by passengers in the vehicle include a broken leg and elbow, concussions and other more minor injuries. At least three of the passengers riding in the Subaru were not wearing seatbelts, according to reports.

No drugs or alcohol are suspected in the crash, but charges are pending against the driver. Police are citing “reckless driving” as the cause of the wreck.

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel, “CAK grads injured in wreck recovering,” Megan Boehnke, May 29, 2012

If you decide to turn off your phone for your commute home, are you less likely to get into a car crash than if you were talking on it? It’s possible, but a new study suggests that merely thinking about your phone can cause crashes, and hence qualify as “distracted driving.” If you’re worried about missing a call while your phone is off during the drive, is that in itself dangerous?

According to the study, just thinking about receiving a text or a phone call while driving is enough to raise the risk of a car accident. Researchers noticed a link between people more attached to their phones and the number of car accidents they were involved in.

For the study, 384 psychology students were surveyed about their level of “cellphone attachment.” Researchers then followed them over a three-year period. Those who were found to be least attached to their phones got into 25 car crashes per 100 people annually. On the other end of the spectrum, those most attached to their phones got into 38 crashes per 100 people. That seems to indicate a link between car accidents and attachment to cellphones.

What really matters, researchers say, is what’s going on in your head. Sometimes that can be far more distracting then answering a phone call. It’s always good to think twice before picking up a cellphone while driving. Perhaps is also good to have a clear mindset before getting behind the wheel.

Source: The Atlantic, “Can simply thinking about your phone lead to a car crash?” Brian Fung, April 30, 2012

Some parents are a bit unsure of when they should address certain issues with their children. The dangers of teen driving is one such topic, and it should never fall by the wayside. It’s important for parents to talk to their teenage sons and daughters to prevent car accidents.

Summertime, in particular, is a good time to address it. In Tennessee and all over the country, the summer months are the most deadly time for teen car crashes. In fact, AAA and Volvo have dubbed the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day as “The 100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers.

Seven of the 10 deadliest days for teenage motorists are in that time period. In 2010, the top four deadliest months were August, July, May and June, in that order, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. And every day in this country, an average of 11 teenagers die in crashes. It’s still the leading cause of death for that age group.

So, what can be done? Graduated licensing laws have helped, and parents may want to reference these when they have “the conversation” with their teens about driving safety. The talk could actually be a series of conversations, according to a prevention specialist, and could include a range of topics such as speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving.

The latter category is a particular worry for many. A recent study backed up the common theory that teenage drivers get into more accidents when there are other teens riding in the car as passengers.

A conversation about driving could take place when a teen gets a learner’s permit. The earlier, the better.

Source: USA Today, “Parents urged to talk, make contact with their teen drivers,” Larry Copeland, May 13, 2012

Drivers often don’t think it’s a big deal if they forget, or don’t bother to, hit that turn signal when they’re changing lanes, exiting a highway or turning into a gas station. But that really is a problem, a new study suggests.

Drivers’ failure to use turn signals actually causes about 2 million car accidents every year. According to a study conducted by the Society of Automotive Engineers, drivers fail to turn on their signals while making a turn a whopping 25 percent of the time. When they are changing lanes, they fail to turn them on 48 percent of the time.

Those are sobering statistics, and they raise the question, “why?” If drivers in Tennessee and elsewhere know they should stop for red lights and stop signs and stick to the speed limit, why are they careless when it comes to using turn signals?

That’s difficult to answer, but it may have to do with the fact that police officers don’t often pull people over for failing to use turn signals. They’re much more likely to go after motorists who are speeding.

The president of an engineering company, who authored the report, says the research is, astoundingly, the first of its kind. He refers to the lack of compliance with turn signals an “epidemic,” according to MSNBC.

So, what can be done? Aside from raising awareness, it’s possible that technology could play a vital role. In theory, new vehicles could come equipped with censors that will remind drivers to use their signals if they continually fail to signal. Some say that could be a viable option to help with the problem.

Source: MSNBC, “Turn signal neglect a real danger, study shows,” Paul A. Eisenstein, May 1, 2012

Drivers in one U.S. city should think twice before they pick up that cellphone. The town, located in another state, recently became the very first in the country to completely ban cellphone use while driving, even hands-free devices. Safety advocates lauded the move and hope that it will ultimately prevent car accidents.

While there are many exceptions to the ban, it will essentially prevent drivers from using a cellphone or “related technology” that can access digital media. An addition to the town code prevents drivers 18 and older from using such devices while driving. (Those under 18 were already prohibited from doing so.)

If drivers are caught using their cellphones, they will face a fine of $25. However, it will be considered a secondary offense. That is, motorists cannot be pulled over just for using their phones. They have to be cited for something else first, like speeding.

As with any rule, there is an exception. Actually, many exceptions. Phones can, of course, be used in emergency situations, such as the need to contact the police, a hospital or the fire department. A somewhat surprising exception is that drivers are allowed to make phone calls if they are contacting a parent, guardian, child or spouse. They are also free to use the phone to make doctor appointments.

The president of the National Safety Council praised the ban and says that it should make the roads safer and therefore save lives. It will be interesting to see if more cities follow suit.

Source: PCMag.com, “Chapel Hill enacts total cellphone ban on drivers,” Mark Hachman, March 29, 2012

An accident in Tennessee last week shows the importance of wearing a seatbelt and paying close attention while driving across a busy highway.

A collision at an intersection left three people injured late last week. The car accident occurred a bit afternoon on a recent day on Alcoa Highway at its intersection with Singleton Station Road, according to a police report.

According to the Daily Times, a 25-year-old woman from Sevierville was stopped in her Chevrolet Malibu at a stop sign on Singleton Road. She apparently attempted to cross Alcoa Highway and was struck by a pickup truck driven by a 59-year-old from Maryville.

The truck driver, who had a passenger with him, was apparently unable to brake in time to avoid hitting the woman’s car. The vehicles collided, and the impact was severe enough that the woman, who was knocked unconscious, became trapped in her vehicle. The point of impact on the Malibu was the driver’s side door. She was ultimately extricated and taken to Tennessee Medical Center after firefighters responded to the scene.

She was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, as was the other driver and his passenger.

The truck driver was treated for minor injuries at Blount Memorial Hospital and released. He was also given a blood alcohol test, but authorities say he is not suspected of impaired driving. His passenger was taken to the same hospital, but his condition after the accident was unclear.

Source: The Daily Times, “Three people injured in Alcoa Highway crash,” Wes Wade, April 14, 2012

They say distracted driving is on the rise, and it doesn’t always involve cellphones or texting. Even playing with the radio can serve as a big and potentially dangerous distraction. A recent car accident on U.S. Highway 411 in Tennessee illustrates that point.

The two-vehicle crash happened near Big Z Lane on Friday afternoon when a 21-year-old man driving a 1976 Chevrolet Nova was headed north on the highway. A Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper says that the man, who is from Maryville, was looking down and playing with the radio when he inadvertently crossed over into a passing lane, a center turn lane and then into a southbound passing lane.

According to the Daily Times, the man’s passenger alerted him to the fact that he was driving into oncoming traffic. He apparently swerved back into his lane when his vehicle was struck by a vehicle driven by a 48-year-old man of Madisonville. His Mercury Milan apparently struck the Chevrolet’s driver-side rear.

A passenger in the Milan was reportedly injured, although the extent of her injuries was not known. She was taken by ambulance to Blount Memorial for treatment. The trooper says that the driver of the Chevrolet will likely be cited for his role in the accident.

It’s perhaps not uncommon for a driver not paying attention to swerve a bit on the road. It’s something altogether different when a driver is so distracted that he veers across more than one lane of traffic. It can put lives at risk.

Source: The Daily Times, “Woman injured in two-vehicle accident on 411,” April 8, 2012

It seemed just like an ordinary day. A 10-year-old girl sat in the back passenger seat of her family’s vehicle as they drove to return some DVDs. But in one instant, everything changed.

Another car struck the family’s vehicle on the opposite side. The girl was wearing her seatbelt, which probably saved her life. She was severely injured and was paralyzed from the waist down in the car accident. But that hasn’t stopped her from returning to her favorite activities.

She spent 16 days at a Tennessee hospital following the crash, couldn’t sit up for two weeks and at first relied on a breathing tube. But after some intense physical therapy and rehabilitation, she returned to her small school — the only place she’s really known, her family says — and has been determined not to let the wheelchair she uses get in her way.

She loves rugby and began playing again about a month after the accident. She ice skated in a production of “The Nutcracker.” She’s also on her school’s cheerleading team. A photo featured on the Knoxville News Sentinel’s website shows her shooting hoops with friends at recess.

Her family says she has been determined and positive since the crash happened almost a year ago. Already, she says she knows she will walk again. Sometimes there is movement in her legs and she is hoping to be a candidate for leg braces that could help her walk. Her family, teachers and students at her school are gearing up for a 5K this weekend that will raise funds so she can go to the Project Walk Spinal Cord Injury Recover Center for further treatment.

Her attitude, perhaps more than anything, is the key. She tells the Sentinel, “My family takes it hard sometimes, and I do, too. But the accident is over, and I am not.”

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel, “Community rallies to help 10-year-old working toward walking again after paralyzing car accident,” Allison Rupp, March 27, 2012

Driving at a high rate of speed without wearing a seat belt can be an unfortunate combination. Speed may have been a factor in a rollover crash that left five Anderson County High School students injured yesterday afternoon, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The car accident happened on Andersonville Highway just after noon. The driver of an SUV apparently lost control while going around a curve, causing a rollover. Some of the passengers were ejected from the vehicle.

Pictures posted to WBIR’s website show skid marks where the vehicle exited the road. It also shows pictures of the vehicle, which appears completely totaled.

The students were taken to UT Medical Center for treatment. At least three of them were injured critically and flown to the medical center via Lifestar. One student with minor injuries was discharged from the hospital.

Three boys and two teenage girls were involved in the crash, according to WBIR. They were all apparently believed to be sophomores at the high school. The students were apparently on their way to go fishing and swimming when the crash occurred. They had the day off because ACT testing was taking place at the school.

Some friends of the victims went to the hospital, hoping for the best. One teen said he was “devastated, but at the same time you have to remain positive,” according to WBIR. He also says the accident was scary and motivated him to always wear his seat belt.

Source: WBIR, “Five Anderson County students were taken to UT Medical Center Tuesday after SUV crash off Andersonville Pike,” March 21, 2012