Are You at Risk for Drowsy Driving?

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently conducted a study that discovered drowsy drivers cause one in six fatal car accidents. Another study conducted by the Governors Highway Safety Association claims drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving. The study claims that driving after you have been awake for 21 hours is comparable to driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent, which is considered legally drunk. This number climbs to .10 percent after 24 hours of no sleep. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has even classified drowsy drivers as “impaired drivers”.It should be obvious that driving without sleep is a major risk factor for drowsy driving. There are other risk factors that people may overlook.

What are Other Risk Factors for Drowsy Driving Accidents?

If you are planning a road trip in the near future, you should be aware of these risk factors.Sleep apnea: People who suffer from untreated sleep apnea are 2.5 times more likely to cause car accidents. Sleep apnea causes interruptions in breathing during sleep, meaning sufferers can wake up several times every night. If left untreated, sleep apnea causes excessive daytime drowsiness and difficulty concentrating. Fortunately, people can be screened and treated for sleep apnea.Alcohol before bed: Drinking the night before a long road trip can cause excessive drowsiness the next day. This is because alcohol interrupts REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. The more people drink, the poorer quality of sleep they receive. Unsurprisingly, alcohol consumption before bed is linked to daytime drowsiness.Sleeping aids: The effects of sleeping aids like diphenhydramine, which is found in Benadryl and Tylenol PM, can linger into the next day. According to a study published by the American Journal of Public Health, people who use sleep aids have a twofold risk of being involved in car accidentsShift-work sleep disorder: Shift-work sleep disorder is most likely to affect people who work nights or rotating shifts. The condition causes problems with the body’s internal clock and is linked to a lack of sleep.Medications: Some medications have warning labels that specify users should not operate heavy machinery. Medications that treat depression, anxiety, insomnia, nausea and high blood pressure could fall into this category.

How Can You Avoid Drowsy Driving?

If you become drowsy while driving, pull over and get some sleep at a rest area or motel. You should never drive at times when you would normally be sleeping. The risk factors we listed above should also be avoided or treated before driving long distances.If you are traveling with several people, you should take turns driving and resting. Caffeine can help provide increased alertness for several hours.The Texas personal injury attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC encourage you to drive safely.

Before You Hang Objects from Your Rear View Mirror, Read This Blog

Do you belong to the one in 20 people who hang objects from their rear view mirrors? Objects like CDs, graduation tassels, handicap parking permits, air fresheners, visors, Garfield the cat, and the classic furry dice create a blind spot that can cause line of sight accidents.There are examples in the press of objects hanging from rear view mirrors causing car accidents. An article in the Chicago Tribune recounts the story of a man who was involved in an accident 40 years ago that would have never happened had he not hung a graduation tassel from his rear view mirror. According to the man, a woman he ran over was visible and wearing a white coat, but also silhouetted behind his graduation tassel. The woman was tossed onto the hood of his car and suffered minor injuries.

What Are Other Ways Drivers Cause Line of Sight Accidents?

It is possible to obstruct your view in other ways. For example, if a person hauling furniture in a pickup truck overloads the truck bed. Window stickers and tinted windows are other examples. Failing to clean windows is another. In fact, police may pull you over for these reasons because they present a hazard to you and other drivers or pedestrians.So what happens to drivers who cause line of sight accidents due to hanging objects from their rear view mirrors or overloading their truck beds? As motorists, they have a duty to care for other drivers and pedestrians. This means that drivers who cause line of sight accidents may be sued for causing injuries or wrongful deaths.There are laws in place that prevent obstruction of view for good reasons. When drivers ignore these laws and cause accidents, there can be serious consequences. Continue following our blog for future updates on how you can stay safe while driving by avoiding common mistakes that lead to serious car accidents.The Texas personal injury attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC, encourage safe and responsible driving practices.

Road Etiquette: How Driving Politely Can Improve Your Safety

Driving etiquette is not only polite, but it may also save lives. If you follow some of the behaviors we have listed below, you may reduce the chances of being involved in a car accident. Getting somewhere a few seconds faster is not worth your life or the lives of others.Use your turn signal: Neglecting your turn signal is a safety risk for obvious reasons. According to research conducted by the Society of Automotive Engineers, failure to use turn signals causes two million accidents every year. The study claims drivers neglect to use their turn signals 48 percent of the time. Please, don’t be one of these people.Be careful using your high beams: High beams can improve your personal safety while endangering others. The truth is, there is a right and wrong way to use high beams. Switch off your high beams to normal lighting when you see an approaching vehicle. Also, do not use high beams while driving directly behind another driver.Avoid distracted driving: Centers for Disease Control statistics show distracted driving kills eight and injures 1,161 drivers daily. Texting behind the wheel is not the only type of distracted driving. Eating while driving, talking to other passengers or reaching for nearby items can also cause distractions. Your only focus should be on driving.Let other drivers merge: Never speed up to keep other drivers from merging, as you may cause a collision.Don’t tailgate other drivers: If the driver in front of you is going too slowly, attempt to switch lanes and pass them. Tailgating is extremely risky because it does not provide you with enough stopping room should the driver unexpectedly hit his or her brakesYield the right of way: If you are at a stop sign or intersection and believe another driver may have the right of way, let them pass first. Attempting to run through the intersection is likely to cause a collision.Don’t slow down to look at roadside accidents: Slowing down to gawk at roadside accidents is known as ‘rubbernecking’. Rubbernecking is an annoyance for other drivers because it causes traffic jams. It can also increase your risk of being involved in an accident because you are taking your eyes off the road.

Why You Should Practice Driving Etiquette

Developing these habits will take repetition. Like all good habits, practicing driving etiquette can take time. According to researchers at the University of College London, new habits take an average of 66 days before they become automatic. If you feel you could be a ‘politer’ driver, give these techniques a try over the next two to three months and see if they stick.The Texas personal injury attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC, encourage you to practice safe driving habits.

Firestone Tire Accidents Show Why You Need to Pay Attention to Recalls

On August, 9^th, 2000, Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. and Ford announced the recall of 14.4 million tires that contained a fatal safety defect. At the time of the recall, Firestone’s tires had been connected to 46 fatal car accidents. Another 80 accidents involving Firestone tires were connected to serious injuries. Crashes occurred because Firestone’s tires would peel their casings off after being exposed to high speeds and heat. When Firestone’s tires failed, people would lose control of their vehicles.Eventually, Firestone and Ford recalled almost 20 million tires. It turns out that 271 people died and more than 800 were injured from accidents caused by the defect.The Firestone and Ford recall crisis of late 2000 can teach us that it is extremely important to pay attention to recall information. Never entrust your life or the lives of your loved ones to recalled products.While automakers are required by law to notify consumers of recalls, sometimes people do not receive the message. Some people continue using vehicle parts after they have been recalled. Earlier this year, investigators with NHTSA determined Takata’s defective airbag caused the death of a Fort Worth teenager. The owners of the vehicle had been sent multiple recall notices over the last several years.In 2016, you can easily and quickly receive information on auto part recalls. Here are several ways to stay informed on recalls by using the internet.

Want to Check for Auto Part Recalls? This Guide May Help

Here are four ways you can stay informed on auto part recalls.Use safercar.gov: Safercar.gov is a recall information website operated by NHTSA. You can use the website’s search engine to pull information on tire, seat, vehicle and equipment recalls. To search for recalls, you will need the brand names, parts numbers, or tire lines and sizes to plug into the search engine. If you are looking for brand and tire line information, check the tire’s sidewall.Use NHTSA’s app: NHTSA has an app that can automatically send recall information to your smart phone. The SaferCar app is available for Android and iOS. If you wish to manually search for information using the app’s search engine, you will need the same information required for safercar.gov.Follow NHTSA on social media: NHTSA’s Facebook and Twitter accounts will send updates to followers when major recalls have been issued. By following NHTSA, you will be among the first to hear about recalls. In addition, NHTSA’s social media accounts offer helpful vehicle safety information.Follow Mike Love & Associates, LLC on Facebook and Twitter: Our social media accounts and blog will discuss recalls, both past and present. We also post guides on how you can check for recalls (much like this one!).Staying up to date on recalls is an easy task to accomplish in 2016. It is also a matter of great importance, as defective auto parts have killed thousands of people over the last several decades.The Texas personal injury attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC, are dedicated to improving the safety of our community.

18-Wheeler Crash on Highway 59 North Takes Lives of Two People

Mechanical failure and, potentially, driver error on the part of the truck driver resulted in a fatality crash involving an 18-wheeler and two other vehicles August 10^th just outside of Lufkin.  Thaddeus Warden, of Lufkin, was tragically killed in the crash.  Mr. Warden was driving a 2013 Dodge southbound on highway 59 when the 18-wheeler lost control crossed the median and crashed into Mr. Warden’s truck and a 2016 Jeep driven by Bria Jones of Houston.  According to reports, Ms. Jones was injured as well and transported to a Lufkin hospital.  A passenger in the 18-wheeler, Brenda Ramon, of Laredo was also killed in the crash.According to DPS reports, the 18-wheeler suffered a blowout immediately prior to the driver losing control of his truck.  At this time, it’s not known whether the blowout theory is based on information from the driver, or evidence obtained from the scene.  However, these type crashes are all too common on our nation’s roadways.  Many assume that a tire “blow out” is some kind of freak accident that just ‘happens’ and can’t be prevented.  Nothing could be further from truth.  Crashes caused by tire “blow outs”,  just like crashes caused by wheels suddenly “coming off” 18-wheeler trailers, are almost always preventable and usually the result of negligent maintenance, driver error, or both.Today’s tires are manufactured to exacting standards and don’t “blow out” unless something is bad wrong.  Remember the Ford Explorers and Firestone Tires that kept exploding and causing crashes?  Remember all the lawsuits?  That’s because tires are not supposed to blow out.  There were lawsuits because the Firestone tires were defective and dangerous.  Now, think of all the pieces of 18wheeler tires you see on the side of the road.  Have you ever heard of a big wave of 18wheeler tire lawsuits?  You can bet that if the tires were defective, there would be lawsuits all over the place.The truth is, 18-wheeler tires are manufactured to significantly higher standards that passenger cars.  The average passenger car tire weighs about 20 pounds while the average big truck tire weighs in between 100 and 110 pounds.  However, as you can imagine, truck tires are also under tremendous pressure and stress.  Big trucks are allowed to carry 20,000 pounds of weight on each axle.  The most common cause of “blowouts” are driving on worn and damaged tires, or driving on under inflated tires.  Big truck tires are designed to run on 95-115 pounds of air pressure (as opposed to the 32 pounds required for a passenger car).  When a trucking company decides to cut corners and squeeze ‘a few thousand more miles’ out of worn and damages tires it puts everyone else on the road at risk.  Likewise, low air pressure and worn and damaged tires are easily detected by even the most inexperienced driver, if he or she takes the time to look.  When truck drivers get in a hurry, and skip the pre-trip inspection that the law requires them to perform before every trip, the results can be absolutely tragic. Mike LoveMikeLove@TexasLawOffice.com * Mr. Love practices law in Lufkin Texas and is the senior partner with the law firm of Mike Love & Associates, LLC.  Much of Mr. Love’s practice involves representing the victims of 18-wheeler crashes.  Mr. Love regularly speaks at legal seminars providing continuing education to other attorneys relating to car and big truck crash litigation through Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Texas State Bar.