AAA Study: Hands-Free Texting Still Hazardous Behind the Wheel

A recent study by the American Automobile Association (AAA) proves what some safety advocates and watchdog groups have been saying all along: it is no safer to use hands-free technology to text and send emails behind the wheel than it is to do them by hand. The study examined driver reaction times, brainwaves, eye movement, and other behaviors of people behind the wheel while performing a variety of "secondary tasks" like using hands-free/dictated texting, handheld texting, while talking on a mobile phone, listening to music (or audiobooks), while interacting with passengers and while only focusing on driving. The research showed that the level of distraction from hands-free and handheld texting/e-mailing was remarkably similar, something that has concerned legislators, automakers, technology companies, and safety experts alike, since hands-free technology has been touted for the past several years as being a much safer alternative to using hand-held devices while driving. The level…

Georgia Motorcycle Accident Kills One

Motorcycle accidents can happen at any time, even to the most experienced motorcycle riders. When these incidents do occur, the occupants of the motorcycle will often suffer extensive injuries, even if they have taken all necessary safety precautions. Motorcyclists often have no way to avoid the crash, meaning they are the ones that will absorb most of the impact. After a motorcycle accident, police will often review the crash to determine who was at fault. In many cases, drivers of other vehicles nearby do not see the motorcyclist until it is too late. A recent Georgia motorcycle accident led to the death of the motorcyclist, and may result in charges for the driver of the other vehicle involved. The crash happened near the Cumberland Mall in the early evening. The motorcyclist was traveling south on Cobb Parkway, close to Paces Mill Road, where an intersection was located. When the motorcyclist got…

Georgia Woman Not Responsible for Fatal Car Crash

A woman who had been accused of causing a car accident by street racing has been found by Georgia state trooper's investigators to not be responsible for the crash. The accident that happed back on May 10 left her boyfriend and 6-month old son dead. Because of initial reports and eyewitness interviews, the Georgia State Patrol had believed she was driving the vehicle and was involved in street racing. The vehicle had gone out of control, struck a guardrail, and was then struck by another car. The victims had all been taken to the hospital, and apparently, who was driving at the time of the car accident had become confused. This story highlights the difficulty of determining the facts in a car accident, why it can take so much time and can be so expensive. Car accidents can be tremendously violent events, vehicles can be ripped apart and, as with this…

Warners Robins Police Involved in Car Accident

When emergency vehicles respond to call, they often have to violate normal traffic laws. Of course, they are authorized to do so, as time is always of the essence, whether it is a police call, responding to a fire or an ambulance, or EMTs responding to a medical emergency. This creates additional risk, beyond those normally encountered on Georgia's highways. A recent car accident, involving a Warner Robins police officer and another driver, highlights those risks. The police officer's vehicle was divine east on Russell Parkway. He passed through a green light on Kimberly Road and struck the pickup truck. The pickup truck was making a left turn and apparently did not stop for the police vehicle. The car accident resulted in minor injuries to both drivers. High-speed accidents can be catastrophic, with both emergency personnel being killed and injured as well as innocent drivers. Police, fire, and ambulance drivers spend a…

Do Bigger Trucks Mean More Accidents?

Truck move America. At any moment, hundreds of thousands of trucks are moving goods across the country. As part of legislation dealing with transportation needs for the future, Congress has requested that the prospect of larger trucks be considered. These trucks would allow more goods to be transported, and in theory, lower the costs. At least, for some entities. The price the rest of us could be wind up paying, however, could be much higher. Some of the opposition to the proposal comes from a somewhat unexpected quarter: truck drivers. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), an association of independent truck drivers sees the potential for more truck accidents resulting from these larger trucks. The proposal would permit trucks to increase to 97,000 lbs on six-axles. Trucks this size today are considered heavy hauls and are a specialized area of trucking. The size and complexity of these larger trucks demand a…

Bibb County Woman, 25, Dies in Car Accident

A Bibb County woman has died after she was involved in a car crash. Although this fatal car crash involved just one vehicle, and we most often work with clients who have been in two-vehicle accidents, we thought it served as a sad and sobering reminder for all of us of how dangerous driving can be. The 25-year-old woman was traveling along Hartley Bridge Road early Sunday when she lost control of her vehicle near Arnold Drive. She then crashed her vehicle into a fence. Authorities put the time of the accident around 1 a.m. The woman was rushed to The Medical Center of Central Georgia after the accident, but it was too late and there was nothing the doctors could do to save her. She was pronounced dead around 3:30 a.m. The woman leaves behind a 6-year-old son. As we said, fatal car crashes like this happen far too often, but…

Repeal of Motorcycle Helmet Law Results in Higher Hospital Costs

Motorcycle helmet laws have long been a source of controversy. Safety advocates have argued they save lives and lessen injuries. Groups opposed claim they inhibit their ability to hear other vehicles and argue it is their right to choose to wear a helmet. In Georgia, all motorcycle riders are required to wear a helmet. In other states, helmet laws have been enacted, repealed, reenacted, and amended. Unlike many states, Georgia's helmet law has remained unchanged since 1969. Michigan repealed its helmet law in 2012, with only riders younger than 21 being required to wear a helmet. A study by the Highway Loss Data Institute has found that in the last year, hospital costs have increased by 34 percent for motorcycle accidents. According to the report, the average insurance payment on a motorcycle injury claim increased by $1,847 over claims made in the two years prior to the repeal. Since helmets…

Georgia Has Bridge Accidents Waiting to Happen

The collapse of an I-5 bridge into the Skagit River in Washington reminds us, again, that our bridges are literally falling down around us. There are an estimated 66,000 structurally deficient across the country. In Georgia, there are 941, which ironically is quite good, placing the state 42nd in total number of structurally deficient bridges. But the news is not quite grounds for celebrating. There are three bridges in Georgia like the I-5 bridge that collapsed. They are functionally obsolete and fracture critical. This means they are well beyond their design thresholds for the number of vehicles they carry and the weight of those loads. This increases the risk of car accidents, which as the I-5 Bridge demonstrated, can bring the structure crashing down. The problem is many of these bridges were built as inexpensively as possible. They have no structural redundancies, so if a single girder or truss fails,…

Every Month Should be Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

In Georgia, Governor Nathan Deal announced that May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. With Memorial Day weekend approaching, summer is here and more bikes will be on the roads and highways. The Governor reminded every driver to share the road and work to avoid motorcycle crashes. As every biker knows, the risks they face are much greater than a driver in a car protected by crumple zones and airbags. On a motorcycle, the crumple zones are otherwise known as your legs and arms. With more than 200,000 motorcycles registered in Georgia, and thousands of cyclists passing through the state on vacations and road trips, there are too many opportunities for unnecessary motorcycle accidents to happen. Riders need to be extra aware, as it is not just other cars and trucks that pose a risk to a motorcyclist. The story from WJBF tells of one rider who collided with a deer. He attributes…

The Danger of Drowsy Driving

You know the feeling. Driving along I-75, heading out of Macon to Florida, down I-16 Savannah, or even going home after a long day at work following a late night with too little sleep. Your eyelids feel heavy and you catch your head dropping. No, you didn't just nod off, just a little tired, that's all. But you did. You just experienced drowsy driving. While much less recognized than its more famous relative drunken driving, but it is still a killer. In the last decade ending in 2010, 11,000 people died in drowsy driving car accidents. The larger question is how to deal with this problem. Unlike other causes of accidents, drunk driving, illegal or prescription drugs, or cellphone use, there is no easy test that can be used to obtain some evidence of how sleepy someone was at the time of an accident. Even the number of deaths may be…

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