December 19, 2010 (Press-News.org) As Old Man Winter returns to Wisconsin, bringing gifts of snow and ice, treacherous driving conditions also return. If the hazards of winter driving weren't enough on their own, technological advances provide their own distractions, leaving drivers trying to split their attention between the road and the gadgets. As of December 1, 2010, drivers will have one less distraction behind the wheel that could keep them from arriving at their destination safely: text messaging.
Wisconsin became the 29th state to begin enforcement of a ban on reading, writing or sending text messages or e-mails while operating a vehicle. A first offense will subject drivers to a fine between $20 and $400, and will mean four points on their driving record. A subsequent offense brings an even harsher fine, one that can range between $200 and $800.
What's the Big Deal? It's Just a Quick Note.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics show that roughly 16 people are killed every day in auto accidents involving a distracted driver, with more than 1,300 more injured. In 2008, almost 6,000 people were killed and a half million more were injured by distracted drivers.
According to the NHTSA, there are three main types of distractions when driving:
- Visual -- those that involve the driver taking his eyes off the road
- Manual -- when the driver takes his hands off the steering wheel
- Cognitive -- where the driver is thinking about something else instead of focusing on the road ahead
Clearly, there are many ways a driver can be distracted -- talking to passengers, changing the radio station, grooming, using a cell phone, eating -- text messaging is particularly dangerous as it involves all three types of distraction.
It's easy to focus on the criminal aspects of Wisconsin's new ban on texting and complain about the $400 fine for violating it, but doing that loses sight of what's really important: saving lives on the road.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a distracted driver, contact an experienced personal injury attorney in your area. A lawyer can protect your rights and help you seek compensation for your injuries.
Article provided by Herrling Clark Law Firm, Ltd.
Visit us at www.herrlingclark.com
Texting or E-Mailing and Driving: No LOL Matter
If the hazards of winter driving weren't enough on their own, technological advances provide their own distractions, leaving drivers trying to split their attention between the road and the gadgets.
2010-12-19
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Texas Insurance Rates to Rise with New Year
2010-12-19
As people begin thinking ahead to 2011, one important change will be implemented for drivers with auto insurance. With the passage of increased liability limits in 2007, Texans will notice an increased insurance rate of two or three percent to cover the additional insurance protection in 2011.
While the two to three percent rate increase that is expected to come from the increased coverage limits is minimal, many consumers question the reason for the rising costs. According to CBS, the increase in auto insurance minimum requirements is meant to address rising medical ...
New York Taxi Accident Exemplifies Danger to Pedestrians
2010-12-19
A dramatic accident involving a taxi cab that crashed into a coffee shop demonstrates the risks pedestrians face across New York when traveling on foot or by bicycle.
Over the Labor Day holiday weekend, an early-morning auto accident sent a taxi cab crashing into a coffee shop in New York City, injuring several pedestrians. Witnesses reported that both the taxi cab and another driver entered the intersection of First Avenue and Third Street at right angles. The taxi cab crashed into the side of the other driver's SUV then careened onto the sidewalk and through the glass ...
Basics of Texas Divorce Law Released for Publication
2010-12-19
A divorce can be one of the most stressful and emotionally involved experiences of a person's life. Basics of Texas Divorce Law was written by Michelle May O'Neil and Ashley Bowline Russell, attorneys with O'Neil Attorneys, a family law boutique firm in Dallas, Texas, to provide spouses contemplating divorce with information about what to expect in the process.
Dallas Divorce Attorney Michelle May O'Neil announces the release of her latest book Basics of Texas Divorce Law. She co-wrote the book with Ashley Bowline Russell, also an attorney with the firm. The book, aimed ...
Thistle Kensington Gardens Appoints New General Manager
2010-12-19
Thistle Hotels has announced the appointment of Paul Knightley as general manager of the four star Thistle Kensington Gardens. Already an established general manager within the Thistle group, Knightley makes the move from its Hyde Park property to oversee the multi-million pound refurbishment of Thistle Kensington Gardens.
Knightley has worked for Thistle for over 10 years and progressed through several roles in the business, starting as a trainee in the finance department and working his way up to his current role as general manager. In this new role, he will be responsible ...
Russell Jones & Walker Launches Nationwide Survey Into Understanding of Bribery
2010-12-19
Russell Jones & Walker Solicitors' Business Crime & Regulation team has launched a UK-wide survey of businesses to assess their understanding of, and preparedness for the implementation of the Bribery Act in April 2011.
The Bribery Act survey, targeted at key decision makers and executives of SMEs with an annual turnover up to GBP100 million, will be conducted across the finance and banking, media, and property and construction sectors. A full report of the survey findings will be available in February 2011.
The UK Bribery Act represents a significant change to ...
Woolworths.co.uk Helps Set World Record for Largest Ever Pass the Parcel
2010-12-19
Woolworths has helped Britain set a new world record for the largest ever game of pass the parcel, as confirmed by Guinness World Records.
The giant parcel, created by family superstore Woolworths.co.uk started out the size of a car, weighing 440.9 lbs and measuring 2,500mm in length by 2,250mm in width by 1,500mm in height. It delivered over GBP10,000 of toys to over 100 families over the course of a 1,125.5 mile two-week tour of the UK, visiting 10 towns and cities in England, Wales and Scotland along the way.
Woolies' snowmen, Stan and Ollie Snow, accompanied ...
The Royal Mint Releases Medals to Immortalise Coronation Street Stars
2010-12-19
The Royal Mint has immortalised five 'Queens' of the small screen in metal to mark the 50th anniversary of the nation's longest-running soap, Coronation Street.
Coronation Street legends Vera Duckworth, Hilda Ogden, Bet Gilroy, Deirdre Barlow and current Rovers firebrand Becky McDonald have been joined by their on screen husbands on a series of beautifully rendered medals, designed to mark five decades of the Weatherfield saga.
This is the first time the Royal Mint has ever commemorated a soap opera with TV memorabilia. The medal designs faithfully capture intimate ...
Radisson Blu Daugava Hotel in Riga Celebrates 15th Anniversary with New Green Awards
2010-12-19
Radisson Blu Daugava Hotel in Riga, Latvia is marking its fifteenth anniversary in 2010 with new green commitments aimed at minimising the hotel's environmental impact. As well as participating in the Radisson Responsible Business initiative, the hotel was recently awarded the Green Key Certificate by Latvia's Ministry of Environment, marking its achievement in reducing any negative impact on the environment.
Opened on 1st July 1995, the Radisson Blu Daugava was the first internationally branded First Class hotel in Riga, the Latvian capital. Located on the banks of ...
Bigmouthmedia Predicts Year of Legislative and Technical Challenges for Digital Marketing
2010-12-19
Bigmouthmedia has released its annual predictions for 2011, this year in conjunction with LBi. The document predicts that 2011 will be a landmark year for digital marketing, with the industry coming to terms with a raft of legislative, technical and economic changes that look set to make a fundamental impact on the sector.
Entitled 2011: The Year Ahead in Digital Marketing, the document focuses on the legislative change set to strike in March, when the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) plans to expand the Committee of Advertising Practice to cover the digital sector. ...
Repair Labs' Fix-iPhones.com Busy As iPhone 4 Issues Cause Consumer Alarm; Complaints Increasing Due to the iPhone 4 Problems
2010-12-19
With the gadget wars in full swing, many new iPhone 4 owners are finding that they need their iPhone repaired soon after purchase. The bigger shock is finding that the repair they need is often not covered by the smartphone's warranty. While the iPhone is easily one of the more expensive smartphones on the market, it's latest 4th generation model has come with its own set of problems and bugs to fix.
The new gadget boom has created a new industry of certified gadget repair sites and brick-and-mortar shops around the US. Those that specifically fix iPhones are seeing ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Over 1.2 million medical device side-effect reports not submitted within legal timeframe
An easy-to-apply gel prevents abdominal adhesions in animals in Stanford Medicine study
A path to safer, high-energy electric vehicle batteries
openRxiv launch to sustain and expand preprint sharing in life and health sciences
“Overlooked” scrub typhus may affect 1 in 10 in rural India, and be a leading cause of hospitalisations for fever
Vocal changes in birds may predict age-related disorders in people, study finds
Spotiphy integrative analysis tool turns spatial RNA sequencing into imager
Dynamic acoustics of hand clapping, elucidated
AAN, AES and EFA issue position statement on seizures and driving safety
Do brain changes remain after recovery from concussion?
Want to climb the leadership ladder? Try debate training
No countries on track to meet all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals
Robotics and spinal stimulation restore movement in paralysis
China discovers terrestrial "Life oasis" from end-Permian mass extinction period
Poor sleep may fuel conspiracy beliefs, according to new research
Adolescent boys who experience violence have up to 8 times the odds of perpetrating physical and sexual intimate partner violence that same day, per South African study collecting real-time data over
Critically endangered hawksbill turtles migrate up to 1,000km from nesting to foraging grounds in the Western Caribbean, riding with and against ocean currents to congregate in popular feeding hotspot
UAlbany researchers unlock new capabilities in DNA nanostructure self-assembly
PM2.5 exposure may be associated with increased skin redness in Taiwanese adults, suggesting that air pollution may contribute to skin health issues
BD² announces four new sites to join landmark bipolar disorder research and clinical care network
Digital Exclusion Increases Risk of Depression Among Older Adults Across 24 Countries
Quantum annealing processors achieve computational advantage in simulating problems on quantum entanglement
How UV radiation triggers a cellular rescue mission
Hepatic stellate cells control liver function and regeneration
The secret DNA circles fueling pancreatic cancer’s aggression
2D metals: Chinese scientists achieve breakthrough in atomic manufacturing
Cause of post-COVID inflammatory shock in children identified
QIA researchers create first Operating System for Quantum Networks
How the brain uses ‘building blocks’ to navigate social interactions
Want to preserve biodiversity? Go big, U-M researchers say
[Press-News.org] Texting or E-Mailing and Driving: No LOL MatterIf the hazards of winter driving weren't enough on their own, technological advances provide their own distractions, leaving drivers trying to split their attention between the road and the gadgets.