Travel Safety Tips for the Holiday Season

November and December are among the busiest months on highways and interstates nationwide. The vast majority of people are travelling to visit family and friends during the holidays. With more cars on the road and adverse weather conditions, there are more opportunities for car accidents. Safety should be a significant concern for all motorists this time of year. The following travel safety tips may help reduce your risk of an auto accident during the holidays.

Get Enough Sleep: Drunk and Drowsy Driving Are Similar

Lack of sleep is one of the greatest dangers for motorists taking long road trips. Drowsiness can significantly raise your chances of being involved in an accident. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released a report earlier this month linking drunk and drowsy driving. According to the study, motorists driving on four to five hours of sleep show impairment similar to a blood alcohol content of .08, the legal limit. AAA also claims that missing one or two hours of sleep per night can quadruple the risk of being involved in an accident. People who get less than 4 hours of sleep are 12 times more likely to crash. The National Sleep Foundation recommends getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep before setting out on a trip and avoiding sleep medications or alcohol the night before departure. If you notice symptoms of drowsiness, such as heavy eyelids, yawning or difficulty focusing, pull over and rest or let someone else drive.

Make Sure Your Vehicle is Safe to Drive

Your vehicle cannot protect you if certain parts are not in working condition. Before setting out on a trip, it is wise to receive a tune-up. A qualified mechanic can check your brakes and pads, head and tail lights, car battery, tires, and fluids. If you have young children, the week before a road trip is a good time to check the effectiveness of booster seats. An estimated 8 in 10 parents do not know whether their booster seats are installed correctly. Some police and fire departments can perform checks. Local Texas Department of Transportation offices may also help parents with car seat issues.

Always Remember to Drive Safely During Your Trip

Long-distance driving requires extra attentiveness to road etiquette and safety. Use extra caution while traveling through work zones. Pay careful attention to speed limits during your travels. Always avoid distractions, such as mobile phones, eating, or applying makeup. There are also driving etiquette rules that can improve your safety. Never tailgate other drivers, and do not drive in the left-hand passing lane. National Safety Council statistics show more than 700 people die in car accidents every year between Christmas and New Year’s. The best way to avoid an accident is to take preventive action and plan. The Texas personal injury attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC, wish everyone a happy holiday season. Please stay safe!

Why Does Angelina County’s Most Dangerous Intersection Continue Causing Accidents?

Angelina County’s most dangerous intersection recently caused another serious car accident, this time involving a 22-year-old woman and a 2-year-old child. The intersection at U.S. Highway 69 and FM 326 is well known in our county for causing accidents. Nearby residents interviewed by KTRE claim they frequently see serious wrecks occur. One of the residents claimed they had seen four car accidents occur at the intersection in the last month and a half. Why is the intersection a significant cause of accidents? Motorists turning onto Highway 69 from FM 326 cannot see oncoming traffic coming from over a hill to the left. Some vehicles on Highway 69 may be speeding, making this intersection even more dangerous. Fortunately, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is taking complaints about the intersection seriously. TxDOT will be conducting a signal analysis study at the intersection this week. Data collected from the study will determine whether further action is warranted. If necessary, TxDOT could make the Highway 69 and FM 326 intersection signalized by installing traffic lights.

How Can You Avoid Accidents at Angelina County’s Most Dangerous Intersection?

The best way to avoid an accident at Highway 69 and FM 326 is to avoid the intersection by taking alternative routes. People turning right or left can take Pee Wee Smith Rd to Highway 69, as there is no hill obstructing oncoming traffic. Visibility is much better for traffic coming from either direction. Alternative routes may not be an option for everyone. Until TxDOT makes its decision, there are other ways you can reduce the chances of being involved in an accident at Lufkin’s most dangerous intersection.

• Turn off music: Highway 69 and FM 326 are a blind intersection, so it is crucial to rely on your other senses to detect approaching traffic. You may have an easier time hearing other vehicles approaching if you turn off the radio or stereo.

• Scrutinize the intersection: Look both ways, but do so quickly. It does not take long for traffic coming up over the hill to reach the intersection.

• Avoid this intersection at night: It's hard to see traffic approaching from the left. This is even more the case at night on a poorly lit highway. If you are going to turn onto Highway 69 at night, it may be best to use one of those alternative routes.

• Avoid any distractions: Eating, texting, or grooming can be fatal at this intersection. Highway 69 and FM 326 require your full attention.

It could take TxDOT a while to fix this dangerous intersection. In the meantime, we need to stay vigilant or find alternate routes. The Texas personal injury attorneys at Mike Love & Associates, LLC, encourage you to drive safely.

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 listed below, you may reduce your risk 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 it is a safety risk for apparent reasons. According to research by the Society of Automotive Engineers, failure to use turn signals causes 2 million accidents each 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 standard 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 while driving is not the only form 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 if the driver unexpectedly hits the brakes. Yield 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 an accident by 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.

18-Wheeler Crash on Highway 59 North Takes Two Lives

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 on August 10th 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 also injured 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 before the driver lost 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 types of crashes are all too common on our nation’s roadways.  Many assume that a tire “blowout” is some freak accident that just ‘happens’ and can’t be prevented.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Crashes caused by tire “blowouts”,  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 badly 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 18-wheeler tires you see on the side of the road.  Have you ever heard of a big wave of 18-wheeler 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 than passenger cars.  The average passenger car tire weighs about 20 pounds, while the average big truck tire weighs 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” is 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 damaged 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 required by law before every trip, the results can be absolutely tragic. 

Mike Love practices law in Lufkin, Texas, and is the founding partner with the law firm of Mike Love & Associates, LLC.  Much of Mike Love’s practice involves representing the victims of 18-wheeler crashes. He regularly speaks at legal seminars, providing continuing education to other attorneys relating to car and big truck crash litigation through the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Texas State Bar. If you are injured in a wreck with a commercial vehicle or 18-wheeler, contact Mike Love & Associates, LLC. We can help.

Why Road Rage Makes Driving Dangerous for Everyone

Most of us have encountered other drivers who 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 significant 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 found that 80 percent of Americans have experienced “significant anger, aggression, or road rage” at least once in 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 in to 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 which behaviors were most likely to cause road rage. The results are consistent. Drivers who participated in the survey 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 that drivers can utilize to avoid road rage. Be careful when merging or changing lanes: Give people plenty of room 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 someone signals 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 that such gestures are likely to anger other drivers and escalate 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.