Category: Car Accidents

One of the most important safety devices used in vehicles are airbags. While you may hope that you will never have to use an airbag, it is comforting to know that your vehicle is equipped with a safety device that may potentially save your life should you become involved in a Tennessee car accident. Surprisingly, the very airbag that you count on to save your life, however, may actually be the cause of your death. Recently, millions of airbags manufactured by the Takata Corporation have been recalled, after they have been found to explode and project shrapnel upon deployment. According to the New York Daily News, the airbags have been involved in at least 11 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

Takata Corporation produces airbags for a variety of car manufacturers, including Ford, Honda, Mitsubishi, BMW and General Motors, just to name a few. In one case, a young girl in Texas was killed by an airbag after she was involved in a low-impact auto accident. When the airbag deployed, her neck was cut open by a flying metal shrapnel object and she bled to death as a result.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, over 8.8 million airbags have been repaired as a result of the recall. Countless more defective airbags are still in need of repair, and motorists are encouraged to check with their automobile’s manufacturer to see if their vehicle is involved in the recall.

This information should be used for educational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice. 

Whether you have been involved in a serious car accident in Tennessee or you have been lucky enough to avoid getting into a collision with another vehicle, it is crucial that you keep your automobile well maintained. While all of systems of the car are important, the tires are one of the most critical. Not only do they carry the entire weight of the car, but they also ensure your vehicle is moving safely when navigating through traffic. Since a number of collisions are caused by poorly maintained tires, there are steps you can take to ensure your tires are safe for the road. As a result, you can limit your chances of becoming involved in an automobile accident.

One of the best ways to keep your tires safe is to check the tire pressure at least once each month, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Tires that are underinflated or overinflated can become unstable on the road. In most cases, you can find the proper tire pressure for your car in the vehicle manual. Furthermore, the tread on your tires should be evaluated regularly for wear and tear, including cracks, uneven wear patterns or foreign objects that may be stuck within the tire.

Another way to improve the life of your tires is to have them rotated regularly and to have your steering aligned. This will ensure that the tire wear evenly. Also, be careful not to exceed your tires’ weight limit by carrying too much weight in your vehicle.

This information should be used to educate and should not be taken as legal advice.

If you are one who consistently keeps your vehicle well-maintained, you may actually reduce your risk of getting involved in a car accident in Knoxville. According to Consumer Reports, studies indicate that poorly maintained tires can put drivers and other people on the road in danger. In fact, if your tires are underinflated or overinflated by 25 percent or more, your chances of becoming involved in a serious auto accident increases by three times when compared to vehicles that have properly inflated tires.

A study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration evaluated how bad tires contribute to car accidents. Researchers found that factors, including tire pressure, depth of tire tread and excessive wear and tear, played a role in vehicle accidents. Other aspects, such as driver experience and bad road conditions were also measured. Results indicated that not only are rollovers more likely to occur when vehicles have bad tires, but adverse weather conditions, such as rain and ice, are significantly more hazardous when tires are not properly maintained.

Tire blowouts can also occur when motorists are driving erratically or speeding. In addition, environmental factors, such as excessive heat, can cause tires to act up as well. It is hard to get an accurate representation of how many fatal car accidents are caused by tire problems, as there can be many contributing circumstances surrounding collisions. Researchers agree, however, that making sure your tires are in good working condition is a must before talking your vehicle out on the road.

This information is intended to educate and should not be taken as legal advice. 

If you are one of the many people who are somewhat hesitant to navigate Nashville roadways in the dark, you may have good reason. Driving at nighttime can increase your risk of getting into an auto accident by nearly three times, according to the National Safety Council. Although there are several reasons why nighttime driving can be hazardous, headlight glare may be one of the most common hazards drivers encounter.

Bright headlights that shine in your eyes while you’re driving can affect you in a number of ways, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. First, it can cause temporary blindness, as it can take several moments for your eyes to recover once they have been hit by an intense glare. During this time, your vision may limited and it can be difficult to see other objects and drivers on the road. As a result, you may experience decreased reaction times to driving hazards as well. In addition, headlight glare can reduce your range of visibility, which means that you may not be able to see as far as you normally would.

Studies have been conducted to detect how to limit, reduce or even eliminate headlight glare. The NHTSA reported that the height at which the headlights are mounted, as well as what type of light source is used can affect glare. In addition, some headlights are aimed at different angles, such as slightly upward or downward, which can induce serious glare as well.

This information is intended to be used for educational purposes and should not be taken as legal advice. 

As people navigate the roadways of Nashville, a number of them may be engaged in activities other than driving, like changing the radio station, searching for something in the backseat or carrying on a conversation over the phone. While this may seem innocent, research published by AAA shows that people who are involved in tasks other than driving are more likely to be involved in a serious car accident.

The issue stems from the brain’s inability to efficiently multi-task. Drivers may feel as though they are able to maintain a conversation over the phone while concentrating on the road. However, the opposite is true. The National Safety Council refers to this phenomenon as inattention blindness, and it occurs when drivers are mentally distracted. Rather than focus on both tasks simultaneously, the brain switches quickly back and forth between each task. As a result, there are moments when the distracted driver is not at all focused on driving.

When drivers are cognitively distracted, they are not able to see up to 50 percent of the information in their driving field of vision. Furthermore, they are less likely respond to certain driving hazards, like objects in the road, pedestrian crosswalks, bicyclists, bad weather conditions and reckless drivers. People who are cognitively distracted are more inclined to run red lights without even knowing it, and a number of auto accidents have occurred due to this inattention. Researchers encourage drivers to put away their cellphones while they are behind the wheel in order to increase not only their own safety, but the safety of everyone else on the road.

Although speed limits are set to ensure the safety of motorists on the road, a number of people choose to violate these restrictions while behind the wheel. Not only is this dangerous to the speeding driver and the passengers in the vehicle, but speeding threatens other motorists lives as well. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driving at a high rate of speed is one of the leading contributors to car accidents in the Tennessee and throughout the U.S.

Speeding is dangerous for good reason. Drivers who speed lose the ability to stop quickly or respond to hazards in the road, such as pedestrians, bicyclists, animals or other drivers. Furthermore, cars, trucks and motorcycles are unable to turn sharp corners when going faster than the designated speed limit. Ice, high winds, rain, fog and snow can make speeding even more treacherous, as vehicles are more likely to skid, slide, tip over or jackknife in bad weather conditions. When vehicles travel at a high speed, the distance needed to come to a complete stop increases. This can make it difficult to come to a sudden stop.

The current speed limit on most rural and urban interstates in Tennessee is 70 mph, which is comparable to most states in the country. USA Today reported, however, that studies show when the speed limit increases, the number of fatal car accidents also rises. Accidents that occur at high speeds can leave victims with severe injuries, including serious fractures, spinal cord injuries, brain trauma and even paralysis. 

Since teenage drivers are inexperienced and just learning the rules of the road, Tennessee has incorporated a graduated driver’s license program to gently ease teens into the world of driving. It is important to know the rules of the program in order to ensure teens are on the right track to receiving their driver’s licenses. Furthermore, teens can reduce their risk of becoming injured or killed in a serious car accident by adhering to the program regulations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that GDL laws can reduce teenage motor vehicle accident fatalities by up to 50 percent.

According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, there are three phases that teens must pass through in order to receive their driver’s license. These include the following:

•          Learners permit
•          Intermediate restricted license
•          Intermediate unrestricted license

Each phase has specific restrictions regarding how many passengers the teen can have in the vehicle with them while they are driving, the ages of the passengers as well as the time of day in which the teen can be on the road.

At the age of 15, teens can begin driving with a learners permit, but only with when accompanied by a driver who is 21 years of age or older. Once a teenager reaches the age of 16 and has had a permit for at least 180 days, he or she can apply for an intermediate restricted license. If a teen has more than one seat belt violation or causes a car accident, he or she may not be eligible to move to the next phase. At 17 years old, a teen may obtain an unrestricted driver’s license, after they have had a restricted license for at least one year and have met all other requirements. 

Whether you are a senior driver in Tennessee or you have an elderly motorist in your family, it is important to understand how driving is different for people as they age. Why does the risk of becoming seriously injured or dying in a traffic accident increase for drivers over the age of 65? In fact, there are several reasons why the aging adult may have difficulties behind the wheel and why these problems could lead to a devastating auto accident.

One of the most common reasons, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, is that as people age, they often experience a decline in their ability to see. This includes poor night vision, color vision and peripheral vision, all of which are essential for driver safety. When people are unable to judge the distance of an oncoming vehicle and/or the speed of traffic, they may be unable to make good choices regarding turns and speed.

Many seniors naturally develop a delayed response time, and it may take seniors longer to process crucial information about their driving environment. When mixed with heavy traffic conditions, inclement weather or distracted driving, this slow reaction time could be deadly in certain situations.

In addition, seniors are more likely to be taking prescription medication for medical conditions that could affect their ability to drive. In some cases, the mere presence of physical and/or psychological conditions could influence the way people act and react to hazards on the road.

This information is intended to educate and should not be taken as legal advice.

If you are like many other motorists in Tennessee and across the nation, you may put your seat belt on as soon as you get into your car. For many people, this practice has become a ritual and as a result, many lives have been saved. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you can reduce your risk of dying in an automobile accident by nearly half just by wearing your seat belt.

Unfortunately, there are still people who fail to buckle up when they get behind the wheel. Teenagers are one of the largest populations of people who do not wear their seat belts, as reported by the CDC. Approximately 55 percent of teenagers who were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2012 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the collision. This may be due to the fact that a number of teenagers are simply inexperienced and unaware of the importance of buckling up.

Many states, including Tennessee, have primary or secondary laws regarding seat belt use. Wearing a seat belt is a primary law in the state, which means that a law officer can pull you over and issue you a ticket for not wearing your seat belt. Secondary laws, on the other hand, prohibit officers from ticketing drivers for not wearing seat belts unless they have committed another traffic offense. Although new vehicles come equipped with the latest safety technology, seat belts remain one the easiest ways to remain safe while on the road.

This information is intended to educate and should not be taken as legal advice. 

Tennessee law currently prohibits people from texting on their hand held cellphones while driving. However, drivers in the state may soon be unable to even talk on their handheld devices while operating a vehicle. A bill that was recently approved by the house panel would make talking on a handheld device while driving illegal. If the bill passes, Tennessee will be added to the already 14 states in the U.S. that have outlawed drivers from using handheld devices, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

One representative who opposes the bill argues that talking on a handheld cellphone is not the only driver distraction that acts as a danger to other motorists, according to the Times Free Press. Eating, dealing with kids, turning the radio station and putting on makeup are other potential distractions that could lead to a horrible motor vehicle accident as well. Not to mention that engaging in a conversation, whether it is on a handheld cellphone or a hands free device, may be just as distracting.

Although studies show that talking on a hands free cellphone is risky for drivers, drivers would be able to continue using a hands free device or a hand held cellphone that is mounted to the dashboard of the car if the bill is approved. The National Safety Council has reported the dangers of distracted driving, and how cognitive distraction from maintaining a conversation on a cellphone can increase the likelihood of an accident. Drivers are encouraged to refrain from using any type of cellular device while behind the wheel.