Think back to when you were a child. When you rode in the car of a friend’s parent, did they have the same safety standards as your own parents? Did they ever say to you, “Oh, don’t worry, you don’t have to wear a seatbelt?” If so, did you tell your parents?

A new study shows that parents are not always consistent with their children’s safety when it comes to carpooling or road-sharing. They should be, however: Sadly, car accidents are the leading cause of death for those between the age of 3 and 14.

The number of deaths can be reduced significantly if children are wearing proper restraint devices, including seatbelts, and if they are in child safety seats. Using such seats can reduce infant deaths by as much as 71 percent.

According to EmaxHealth, a study conducted by a pediatrician took a close look at 681 parents. Many of the questions concerned child restraints. 76 percent of parents with children between the ages of 4 and 8 used child safety seats. However, only 79 percent of those that use the seats said they consistently asked another driver to use a seat for their child when carpooling or ride-sharing.

Another interesting statistic is that only 55 percent of respondents would have their child in a safety seat if the child’s friend was not using one. Clearly, carpooling creates inconsistency for parents, and that’s a real problem. Every child needs to be buckled up in a child safety seat, no matter the circumstance, in order to prevent serious injuries.

Source: EmaxHealth, “Parents not consistent about safety when carpooling,” Denise Reynolds, Jan. 30, 2012

Patience is a virtue. That’s true in many aspects of life, and driving is no exception. A Knoxville woman was arrested earlier this week after she apparently tried to drive around a group of children crossing a street. She ended up striking a 6-year-old boy and leaving the scene of the accident.

The car accident occurred on the 300 block of McConnell Street outside a local Boys and Girls Club, according to KnoxNews. A spokesperson for the Knoxville Police Department says the 18-year-old woman attempted to drive around the group of children instead of waiting for all of them to cross.

As she maneuvered her Chevy Impala through the area, she apparently struck a young boy and then fled the scene. The boy sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for treatment.

Police were able to identify the driver and later located her at her apartment on Riverside Drive in Knoxville. She’s facing various charges, including reckless driving, driving without insurance, driving without a license, and leaving the scene of an accident.

In this case, it’s lucky the boy was okay and there were other people around to help him. If he had been alone or in a secluded area, the outcome might have been different. Leaving the scene of a crash that could potentially leave people injured is not only irresponsible and dangerous, but can have serious consequences for all involved. Please drive safely.

Source: KnoxNews.com, “Knoxville driver charged in hit-and-run after striking 6-year-old boy,” Jan. 30, 2012

What’s that old saying? “If you talk the talk, you should walk the walk.” It seems not every driver in Tennessee does that. According to a new survey, 88 percent of Tennessee drivers believe that texting, or looking at a phone, while driving is dangerous behavior. But at the same time, 27 percent of them admit to doing just that in the last month.

Clearly, distracted or drowsy driving is a leading cause of car accidents, right up there with driving while intoxicated. Only 4 percent of drivers in the survey admitted to driving after drinking. But a whopping 25 percent of them admitted to driving while they were drowsy at some point in the prior 30 days.

The survey, conducted by the University of Tennessee Center for Transportation Research, seems to indicate a false sense of security among drivers. It’s possible that some of the drivers polled don’t believe a bad accident could happen to them. Maybe others are trying to kick the habit of texting while driving, which could result in a fine if they are caught by police.

Whatever the case, drivers need to be aware that dangerous behavior, such as driving too fast, getting behind the wheel while sleepy or fiddling with an electronic device while driving, can negatively impact all motorists around them.

According to KnoxNews.com, it’s likely that the results of the University of Tennessee study will be used to determine where to implement education campaigns.

Source: KnoxNews.com, “Editorial: Drivers need to drive, not send text messages,” Jan. 30, 2012

A routine day turned into a nightmare for a Tennessee teen back in October 2010. He still doesn’t remember what exactly happened, but it’s believed that as he drove down Big Springs Road, he looked down at some point, causing him to swerve, over-correct and then slam into a tree.

The car accident nearly cost the teen his life. He was treated at Tennessee Medical Center and said doctors were forced to remove his spleen and one of his kidneys. He also had fractured ribs and vertebrae, and his urethra to his bladder was severed.

As the teen, who was a junior in high school at the time of the crash, and his family speak out in the hopes of preventing further car accidents involving teens, the state of Tennessee is looking at a recent evaluation of its traffic laws.

According to KnoxNews.com, Tennessee ranks as one of the country’s top 18 safest states when it comes to traffic safety. That’s according to an annual road safety report, “The 2012 Roadmap to State highway Safety Laws.”

Every state was evaluated on 15 different traffic safety laws. The report indicates that Tennessee passed more than 10 of the 15 suggested safety laws, including primary enforcement of seatbelt laws. That means people can be pulled over if police notice they aren’t wearing a seatbelt.

The 15 traffic laws include seven elements of a graduated driver’s licensing program, a text messaging ban and three-occupant protection measures, among others.

The teenager and his mother attended the release of the latest report in Washington to speak out for teen driving safety.

Source: KnoxNews.com, “Greenback teen, mom crusade in D.C. for auto safety,” Elijah Herington Scripps, Jan. 12, 2012

Surely you’ve been in a situation where the driver in front of you is driving erratically. They swerve in and out of their lane, and it’s hard to tell if they’re drunk, not paying attention or falling asleep.

Some new technology is aiming to give sleepy drivers, or perhaps those not paying enough attention, a little help. As Ford calls it, “lane-keeping technology” aims to keep drivers in the center of the lane in order to prevent car accidents.

Other companies, such as Toyota, have introduced similar systems under different names, such as “lane keep assist.” Ford’s new system hasn’t gotten a recommendation from the Federal Highway Traffic Safety Administration yet, but Ford is offering it as an option for its Explorer and Fusion 2013 models.

This is how it works: a camera is mounted to a vehicle’s rear-view mirror. The equipment is supposed to track the road’s lane markings. So, if a driver swerves too far to the left or right, the system can give the driver a warning in the form of a vibration in the steering wheel.

If the driver ignores it, the vehicle will automatically correct to the center of the lane. Of course, the technology will only kick in if a vehicle is traveling at a minimum of 40 mph and the system is switched on.

Some have pointed out some possible flaws, including when the camera doesn’t work properly due to low sun angles and heavy precipitation. Still, it is hoped such technology will eventually keep motorists safe from swerving drivers.

Source: New York Times, “Trying to nudge drowsy drivers,” Randall Stross, Jan. 21, 2012

Tennessee is one of the least restrictive states in the nation when it comes to elderly drivers. Some states have strict laws requiring drivers of a certain age to submit to medical testing before they are allowed behind the wheel. While Tennessee may not go that far, officials are looking to impose tougher restrictions on elderly drivers in the future.

As baby boomers age, there will be more elderly drivers on the road. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there were 21.6 million drivers aged 70 and older in 2008, accounting for about 10 percent of all drivers. Some fear there will be increased instances of car accidents as drivers age.

According to the Tennessean, the AAA Foundation for Driver Safety estimates that one of every five drivers will be age 65 or older by the year 2030. State officials are said to be exploring new laws that could subject elderly drivers to additional testing.

The new laws could also make it easier for the state to take away licenses from older drivers upon the request of their family members. The Tennessee attorney general says the laws would not be discriminatory or unconstitutional as long as they “were rationally related to a legitimate state interest,” the Tennessean says.

Still, it may be tough to convince older drivers that their rights are not being violated. Even those who should not be driving because of medical reasons, such as the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease, are often resistant to giving up driving.

Many view giving up driving as giving up independence. A representative of the Meharry Consortium Geriatric Education Center says areas need more senior transport services, which are often offered by nonprofit or religious organizations.

It remains to be seen when such laws may go into effect.

Source: The Tennessean, “Older Tennessee drivers may encounter tougher laws,” Brandon Gee, Jan. 17, 2012