10 posts from 2009

People who are late for work or an appointment often speed up just to arrive at their target destinations immediately. What they sometimes fail to realize is that it is better to be late than to die in a crash that results from overspeeding.

In the blog titled “Speeding Driver Meets a Watery End,” the author discussed the accident wherein a speeding driver dies after he drove off from Treasure Island and sank further than 10 feet beneath the water.

Speeding should be avoided because it endangers the lives of drivers and other road occupants. If you do not want to be late for a meeting or any appointment, it is better if you leave early. That way, you will have more time to travel.
 

Depending on the situation, a driver who is convicted of drunk driving may face a variety of punishment for their negligent act.

Just like when Lori Petty pleaded no contest to DUI charges last Friday.

She admitted that drunk driving was a stupid thing to do, and now she got 5 years probation for that stupidity.

It was not said whether other punishments were given to Ms. Petty, but to warn people about drunk driving, here are the possible consequences of being convicted for DUI.

Probation of 3-5 years without drinking and driving during that period, and Ms. Petty got the maximum length of probation.

You may also be fined between $1,400 -1,800, which could also be converted to hard community service
Your license may also be suspended up to 6 months which means absolutely no driving.

The court may also think that some jail time of up to 48 hours will help you learn your lesson.

And that is just for the first offense; subsequent offenses will be met with harsher punishments.

Teenage drunk driving has been a problem of the country for a couple of decades now.

Even after many policies placed to curb this problem, DUI is still the leading cause of death for American teenagers aged 15-20.

Statistics don’t lie, 40% of all alcohol related fatal accidents involve teenagers.

Most studies show that a lot of new drivers overestimate their driving skills and are more prone to reckless behavior even without alcohol.

With alcohol in the mix, then it is just a disaster brewing.

Just read the blog http://caraccidentlawyerpros.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/judge-warns-teen-drunk-driver/, where an 18-year old kid is about to be tried as an adult for his role in a high speed alcohol crash that killed his friend when they were 16-year old.

The best solution is still prevention, and to prevent DUI accidents, you have to go to the core of the problem and that is driver’s education.

We can place all the policies we want but if it is not going to be followed because of ignorance then it doesn’t serve its purpose.

A teenage driver, even before getting a license, should be given all necessary information and education needed to make him a responsible driver.

A driver must not see a car only as a privilege but should also learn that it comes with a duty to keep him/her self and others safe. 

As was said by the judge from the featured blog, “Getting behind the wheel of a car carries an intense amount of responsibility.”

In the blog “Man Pleads not Guilty in Vehicular Manslaughter Case,” the author reported on the possible punishment that will be met on the driver that is charged for gross vehicular manslaughter.

According to the author, if convicted, the defendant could face up to six years in prison.

Thus is the nature of car accidents, once another person is harmed or fatally injured. Instead of worrying about just a civil suit, the defendant will have to face criminal charges as well.

The family of the victim, while pursuing justice through a criminal conviction, will also pursue (if not already) a civil suit against the defendant.

If the jury convicts the defendant for the criminal charges, it is likely to follow that the family will also win the “wrongful death suit” and claim damages from the defendant and his insurance company.

Although it is not about the money, the surviving family of the victim should be compensated for all the loss they incurred during this ordeal.

This should include lost income, medical expenses, funeral expenses and other expenses.

They should also receive damages due to the pain and suffering caused by the accident.

Punitive damages can also be awarded to dissuade the defendant or any other people from repeating the same mistakes.

We are all accountable for our actions and so we should never attempt to run away from it.

An ironic situation is presented in the blog “Car plows restaurant in an attempt to dash from paying the bill” where the customers tried to run away from the bill but ended up having higher tab and a violation after crashing onto the restaurant.

The blog details how four women tried to leave the restaurant without paying their bill but ended up having more trouble as they now have to pay for the cost of the damages they are accountable for.
Fortunately, no one was hurt in the said accident even if there are other people dining in the restaurant.

This should be a reminder of how important it is to abide by traffic laws and not over estimating your driving skills to avoid accidents that could injure others.

Speeding is one of the common causes of car crashes that can lead to serious injuries or death. Just like the case discussed in “Speeding Driver in Gas Station Crash Dies.”  

In this blog, the author emphasized the dangers of speeding as well as drunk driving, stating that stricter laws need to be implemented concerning these issues to protect people from being injured in car accidents.

But no matter what laws are implemented, if we do not abide by it and do our part as responsible citizens, such accidents will still occur. We should be responsible for all of our actions and do whatever we can to solve this problem.

Most people still trust their driving skills after they have had more than enough alcohol. Many of these drivers often cause road accidents that can endanger his life and of other motorists and pedestrians as well.

Another controversial case of DUI was discussed in “Former CEO pleads guilty to DUI”. Here, the former CEO of Genesis Group admitted her wrongdoings and was sentenced to imprisonment and payment of fine.

Drivers must understand that alcohol can seriously impair their judgment and vision while driving especially at night when most of these accidents happen.

In the former CEO’s case, she was lucky that no one died from her driving as a good number of people die of alcohol-related deaths.

Drinking comes with the responsibility of not driving afterwards. Drivers must keep in mind the dangers and punishment involved if he would continue to drive while drunk.

More strict laws and heavier punishment for these DUI drivers should be imposed so that people will take the dangers seriously.

There are many different tips advised by various people to help prevent automobile accidents. To simply put these tips, we should be careful at all times, meaning even if we are not driving, we should still practice care and caution. The reason behind this is that accidents virtually occur everywhere, in various forms and types.

In fact, there are reports of injuries that occurred even without having to drive. One such injury is when the hand gets caught on a car door. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it is the most common type of vehicle-related injury.

These types of accidents may be prevented. As stated in “A Truth on Non-crash Accidents,” such accidents lie in our own hands, whereas motor vehicle crash accidents may possibly be beyond our control.

While driving or walking along streets, it is important that we don’t undermine the dangers that could be caused by our inattention.

There have been many accidents caused by irresponsible use of cellular phones. There are drivers whose concentration is diverted and there are pedestrians who are not cautious in crossing the street.

These people are the likely the party that would have to be liable for the accident they have caused.

In a blog entitled “Dial for Help: A Car Accident Case”, I am happy to know that there are those who use their phones only when necessary and in cases of emergency..

The author said that an accident involved a man who was found in a ravine after his call to his mother has been traced by authorities.

I agree with the author in saying that the accident could have resulted to the man’s worse condition or even death if he wasn’t found in time.

In everything we do, it is important that we don’t under estimate the possible accidents and dangers that may result from our negligence.

Phones must be used responsibly and as a tool to save one’s life and not the one to cause accidents that would endanger our safety.

Most car buyers neglect the interiors and sturdiness of the vehicle when they purchase one as the exteriors seem to be more appealing to them.

Many refuse to consider safety issues in buying cars and so they end up with those that are pretty on the outside but are frail in the inside. This weakness may be discovered only after an accident has happened and a life has been lost.

People should start considering their safety when purchasing a vehicle as this could save them and their family when confronted with danger. They should start taking into consideration the sturdiness of the vehicle before buying them.

In the blog “Unpublished Car Crash Test”, it is alarming to know that there are vehicles out in the market that have not passed the safety standards for children. Tests on late car models appear to have defective baby seats that can fatally injure infants and children using them.

The author is correct in saying that these tests should be made known to the public so that they will be more alert in choosing their means of transportation.

Aside from maintaining our vehicle’s good condition, it is also wise to carefully choose the vehicles that would be bought and consider our safety and those of our passengers as well.