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