How Child Safety Seats Can Protect Your Children

Did you know that car accidents are the number one cause of death among children in the U.S.? According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), car accidents cost 638 children their lives in 2013. This depressing statistic is a reminder that it is extremely important to ensure your children are safe while driving. Parents can reduce the chances of death or serious injury by using child safety seats.CDC statistics show that child safety seat use reduces the risk of death for children under one years old by 71 percent. For children aged 1 to 4, the risk of death is decreased by 54 percent. Booster seats are also useful for preventing injuries. CDC statistics show booster seats reduce the risk of catastrophic injuries by 45 percent among children ages 4 to 8 years old.Although child safety seats are effective at reducing injuries and deaths, there are ways to use these seats incorrectly. According to the CDC, 59 percent of car seats and 20 percent of booster seats are used incorrectly, reducing their effectiveness in the event of an accident.

These Child Safety Seat Tips May Help Protect Your Children

The following tips from Safe Kids Worldwide and the CDC can help make child safety seats more effective.

• Always ensure that the seat you are using is appropriate for your child’s age, weight and height. Check the label on the child safety seat to verify this information.

• Ensure the child safety seat is not past its expiration date. This information can also be found on the label.

• Never buy used child safety seats. Even if you know the person you are buying from, it can be difficult or impossible to know the seat’s crash history.

• Make sure your child is facing the right direction. Keep children two years old and under in rear-facing car seats. When your child is old enough, move them to a forward-facing car seat.

• Perform the inch test. After installing the car seat, see if you can move it side-to-side or back to back more than one inch. If you can, the seat has not been installed properly.

• Make sure the harnesses are tight and coming from the correct slots. You should not be able to pinch any excess webbing past shoulder level.

• If there is one safety tip to pay attention to on today’s blog, it is making sure your child’s safety seat is properly installed. The majority of safety seats are not properly installed and could malfunction during accidents. Police and fire departments will sometimes perform safety checks on seats at no cost. In addition, the Texas Department of Transportation offers similar services at its offices.

Remember to Check for Child Safety Seat Recalls

We encourage parents to revisit a past blog post on how to check for child safety seat recalls. In some cases, child safety seats have serious defects. For future updates on child safety seat tips and recalls, continue following our blog.

Why Road Rage Makes Driving Dangerous for Everyone

Most of us have encountered other drivers that made our blood boil. Perhaps they cut us off, slammed on their brakes or performed maneuvers that put other people in danger. Road rage is a common aspect of driving in the U.S., but it is also a major cause of car accidents. The next time you want to honk your horn or tailgate the annoying driver in front of you, remember this blog.A recent study published by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has discovered 80 percent of Americans have engaged in “significant anger, aggression or road rage” at least once during the last year. Drivers experiencing these feelings tailgated motorists, honked their horns, flipped off other drivers and yelled (an estimated 266 million people). In the most extreme cases, people have gotten out of their cars to confront other drivers or intentionally rammed other vehicles (an estimated 13.3 million people).Road rage can also cause car accidents. According to AAA, road rage is responsible for 56 percent of all fatal car crashes. Some drivers who give into road rage might race each other, ignore signs or traffic lights and drive much faster than the speed limit. In other words, angry drivers are not only putting themselves in danger, but other people as well.AAA’s study also asked drivers what types of behaviors were most likely to cause road rage. The results are consistent. Drivers who participated in the study were most upset by being cut off, tailgated or getting stuck behind slow drivers in the left lane (also called the fast lane).

Want to Avoid Being Victimized by Road Rage? These Tips Might Help

AAA provided helpful tips drivers can utilize to avoid road rage.Be careful when merging or changing lanes: Give people plenty of room when merging or changing lanes and always use your turn signal. In the event you accidentally cut someone off, be sure to signal an apologetic gesture.Be courteous when driving in the left lane: If you are driving in the left lane and someone signals that they want to pass, move over to the right lane. AAA warns that even if you are driving the speed limit, drivers behind you can still become angered. Always obey signs that warn the left lane is for passing only.Never tailgate other drivers: Tailgating puts you and the other driver at risk. Always provide yourself with several seconds of stopping room in case the driver in front of you does something unexpected. Tailgating is also likely to anger other drivers.Avoid offensive hand gestures: It goes without saying, offensive hand gestures are only likely to anger other drivers and enflame a road rage situation.Don’t engage angry drivers: If another driver becomes aggressive, don’t become angry in return. Be prepared to pull over and call 9-1-1 if need be.The Texas personal injury attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC, encourage you to drive safely this summer.

How Parents Can Help Their Children Avoid Distracted Driving

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety considers Memorial Day to be the start of the ‘100 deadliest days of driving’ for teenagers. According to the foundation, 60 percent of car accidents among teenagers are caused by distracted driving. Although some of these accidents are caused by other types of distracted driving, such as eating or talking to other passengers, many involve mobile phone use.If you are a parent, there are ways that you can prevent your children from using mobile phones while driving. New technologies can disable mobile phone features while vehicles are in motion. Ironically, even apps can be used to prevent your children from using smart phones while driving. Also consider that your children will learn by example and may adopt your driving habits. It is important for parents to set an example and explain why certain driving habits are dangerous.

Technologies and Apps that May Prevent Distracted Driving

The following technologies and apps can disable phones, filter calls, block text messages and disable other mobile phone programs.Cellcontrol: Cellcontrol uses a Bluetooth device (also called DriveID), an app and an online account to disable phone use while vehicles are in motion. The DriveID device attaches to the windshield and works with the mobile phones of people driving. Parents can use their online accounts to adjust settings for the DriveID device, which will set restrictions for nearby mobile phones. For example, parents could disable apps, calls and texting by adjusting settings for the DriveID device (exemptions can be made for emergency calls). DriveID also uses GPS, so it knows when cars start moving.Lifesaver: Lifesaver is a smart phone app that awards drivers for safe driving habits. The app uses GPS and other features to record phone usage while driving. When users abstain from distracted driving, they can collect points for certain rewards. Parents can set ‘point benchmarks’ that provide specific awards and give an incentive to drive safely.Anti-distracted driving features on new vehicles: Automakers are developing, or have developed, built-in features that disable mobile phone use. For example, Ford’s MyKey feature automatically blocks non-emergency calls and text messages.Technologies and apps might help prevent distracted driving, but parents may have to play a more direct role in ensuring their children are driving safely. As we stated earlier, children learn driving habits from their parents. Sitting down with your children and having a serious discussion about safe driving might stop bad habits from developing in the first place.The Texas personal injury attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC wish everyone a great summer. Please remember to drive safely.

Why You May Need an Attorney Before Filing A UM/UIM Claim

Texas auto insurance policyholders should always make sure they have UM/UIM coverage (uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage). Although Texas insurance companies are required to offer UM/UIM coverage, policyholders can reject it in writing. UM/UIM coverage can protect you in the event an uninsured or underinsured motorist hits your vehicle and causes physical and/or property damage. However, there are some nuances to Texas UM/UIM coverage that make contacting an attorney a matter of critical importance before filing claims. As a policyholder, you may run into difficulties filing a UM/UIM claim.In late 2006, the Texas Supreme Court held in Brainard v. Trinity Universal Insurance Company that insurance companies are under no contractual obligation to pay UM/UIM claims until policyholders obtain judgments establishing the liability of UM/UIM motorists and the amount of damages. So basically, purchasing a UM/UIM policy merely gives you the right to sue your insurance company and recover if you win in court.We can use a hypothetical scenario to summarize Brainard v. Trinity Universal Insurance Company further.

Jill’s Story: Why Filing a UM/UIM Claim Can Be Difficult

Jill is a single mother and business owner with UM/UIM coverage on her Texas auto insurance policy. One day, Jill is driving home from her mother’s house along East Denman Avenue when a distracted driver runs through an intersection and collides with her vehicle. During the course of the accident, Jill breaks her arm and several fingers. To make matters worse, her car is totaled. Police arrive on the scene, file a report, and it is discovered the driver responsible for the wreck has no insurance coverage. Jill is brought to the hospital and undergoes treatment for her injuries.During her brief stay at the hospital, Jill had been in contact with her insurance company. She had filed a UM claim, but upon returning home, discovered the claim had been denied. Jill’s insurance company claimed she was not owed any coverage until she proved in court that the other driver was both at fault and uninsured, and she would also have to prove that all of her damages were actually caused by the accident. Due to owning a business and recovering from serious injuries, there is no feasible way Jill has the time put the evidence together necessary to prove her case.Given her circumstances, Jill realizes that hiring an attorney is necessary. After researching the accident, Jill’s attorney is able to prove that the driver responsible for the wreck was texting at the time of the crash. In addition, her skilled attorney also proves the driver had no insurance coverage. By working with her health care providers, Jill’s attorney secures the records and testimony needed to establishing the total amount of damages Jill has suffered as a result of this accident.  Upon presentation of this evidence to Jill’s UM insurance carrier, the insurance adjuster realizes that Jill is going to prevail at trial, so the company agrees to pay her without wasting time and money on going to court.More could be said about Jill’s story and why it is important to hire an attorney after an accident. There are many possible scenarios that can surprise people injured in accidents. Hiring an attorney is the best way to fight back against these possible scenarios before they can cause financial ruin.The Texas personal injury attorneys at Mike Love & Associates,LLC can review your auto policy at no cost.