September 20, 2012 (Press-News.org) Some people argue that you cannot legislate against bad behavior, but placing legal limits on drivers is one of the best strategies for reducing car accidents. From statutes that criminalize drunk driving to bans on distracted driving, smart legal restrictions ultimately lead to fewer traffic deaths and serious injuries.
Over the past decade, the Oregon Division of Transportation Safety has sponsored radio ads, TV spots and billboards to raise awareness of the problems caused by distraction behind the wheel. Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) maintains a deep vault of data that shows the clear dangers caused by activities such as texting, talking to passengers and cell phone use.
Oregon lawmakers have made some progress by passing a handheld phone and texting ban for all drivers, as well as a ban on all cell phone use by novice drivers (under 18). NHTSA data suggests that these measures do not go far enough, based on studies showing that hands-free cell phone use is not significantly safer due to the fact that talking on a phone while driving diverts more than one third of brain activity from driving attention.
Cell phone and texting bans are notoriously difficult to enforce, even though texting while driving and handheld phone use are primary offenses (meaning the driver can be pulled over without committing another violation). For that reason, public education remains an important priority. Agencies such as the Portland Bureau of Transportation promote regular safety campaigns that combine targeted enforcement at known trouble spots with media blitzes to explain the dangers and increase citations.
Figures provided by NHTSA serve as a sobering reminder of the extent of the problem:
- Nearly one of every five crashes nationwide in 2010 involved a distracted driver
- Distracted driving led to over 3,000 deaths and over 400,000 injuries in 2010
- Looking at a device to send or receive a text message diverts the driver's attention from the road for four to five seconds on average, which at 55 mph means driving blind the entire length of a football field
In the aftermath of a distracted driving accident, a criminal traffic violation is not necessary to show that the at-fault driver was negligent. Even drivers who heed the letter of the law are subject to civil liability when their actions jeopardize others and cause injury or death. An Oregon car accident attorney can explain how personal injury claims work and assess a person's eligibility for damages.
Article provided by Lance D. Youd, Attorney at Law
Visit us at www.youdlaw.com
Distracted Driving and Car Accidents: Criminal Bans, Civil Liability
Oregon lawmakers have made some progress by passing handheld phone and texting bans for all drivers, but NHTSA data suggests that these measures do not go far enough to prevent distracted driving accidents.
2012-09-20
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
The Problem with Reincarnated Trucking Companies
2012-09-20
How Easy Is It for Truck and Bus Companies that Have Been Shut Down for Safety Violations to Reopen Under Different Names?
Reopening as a new business is too easy for truck and bus companies, so it appears. Skirting loose state laws for new company registrations has appeared to be quite simple for some less-than-reputable companies in the trucking industry. A recent article in the Insurance Journal noted how "reincarnated" trucking companies pop up almost instantly in Georgia, even after regulators have issued out-of-service orders to these motor carriers.
In ...
Injured Parties Bring Suits Against Florida for Smoke and Fog Crashes
2012-09-20
At least 13 lawsuits have been filed against the state of Florida for injuries and wrongful deaths caused by Florida Highway Patrol's (FHP) decision to reopen the Gainesville stretch of I-75 this January, despite severe smoke and fog conditions. These motor vehicle accident lawsuits illustrate how injured parties may hold state and municipalities responsible for their poor decisions or road maintenance.
FHP Kept Road Open, Despite Smoke and Fog
This past January, the Gainesville area experienced a tragedy on its stretch of I-75. A nearby brush fire had made visibility ...
Foreclosure After Bankruptcy
2012-09-20
It is well known that a bankruptcy filing will stop a foreclosure, as long as a foreclosure sale has not taken place. However, many debtors wonder if their lender can come back after the bankruptcy case is closed and initiate foreclosure proceedings once again. This article will explain the answer to this question.
Indeed, the automatic stay imposed through a bankruptcy filing buys a debtor time in which to review and reorganize all of their debts. No collection efforts may take place while the stay is in effect, and that includes foreclosure proceedings. However, a ...
Steps to Take Following a South Florida Car Accident
2012-09-20
A car accident is never a pleasant experience. Once the initial shock subsides, it can become a stressful process to get a vehicle repaired. Recovery from an injury also adds another layer of difficulty. Taking correct measures following the accident, however, may smooth the claims process and speed recovery.
Immediately following an accident, there are several tips that will aid a personal injury attorney in seeking just compensation for injuries sustained in an accident.
Breathe Deep, Report the Accident and Exchange Details
First, try to remain as calm as possible. ...
How Expiration of the Bush Tax Cuts Will Affect Individuals and Businesses
2012-09-20
As the election season kicks into full gear, it will be impossible to avoid discussing the state of the nation's economy. One of the major changes America may face is the expiration of tax cuts that started during George W. Bush's years in office and the implications their expiration will have on small businesses and those with a high net worth.
Countdown to January First
The tax law changes -- commonly referred to as the "Bush tax cuts" -- are scheduled to expire on January 1, 2013. If Congress fails to extend them, many Americans will experience a tax ...
Three Steps to Ensure a Woman's Financial Security Post-Divorce
2012-09-20
Divorce can be an especially difficult experience for women. In addition to the feelings of shock, anger and betrayal, there is a huge financial change as well. Before the divorce, most women have the assistance of a husband in meeting financial obligations. However, once the divorce is completed, many women find themselves in control of their own finances and having a difficult time finding ways to pay their bills and save for retirement without a spouse's income.
Although the task seems daunting, by taking the following steps, women can ensure that they get back on ...
Nurse Fatigue Can Lead to Infected Patients
2012-09-20
A recent study by the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing proves something that nurse labor advocates and medical watchdog groups have been saying for some time: upping the number of patients each nurse is responsible for each shift has a direct corollary in rates of patient infections, injuries and deaths. That same study revealed that when nurses reported on-the-job "burnout," there were patient consequences in the form of additional urinary catheter and surgical site infections.
What Is "Burnout?"
The ...
Home Equity and Your Divorce: What You Need to Know
2012-09-20
Marriage is an economic relationship as much as a social one. In a divorce, fairly dividing marital assets is one of the most important concerns.
Equity in a home is the difference between the market value of the real estate and the amount still owed against it on a mortgage. Equity in a shared home is a unique asset; it involves shared value, but is also characterized by joint debt.
Deciding how to split home equity in your divorce can certainly be a challenge. Even so, with a strong grasp of your options, you'll have a better chance of coming to a resolution that ...
The Basics of Washington's Field Sobriety Tests
2012-09-20
Thanks to television shows and movies, most people have a basic idea of how field sobriety tests (FSTs) work. Just hearing the phrase "field sobriety test" might make you envision a motorist pulled over to the side of the road, trying to walk heel-to-toe along the yellow line while a stern-looking police officer looks on and the patrol car's lights flash in the background. Or, perhaps you picture someone trying to touch their nose with their fingertips, balance on one foot or recite the alphabet backwards.
In real life, FSTs work a bit differently. Police officers ...
North Carolina Workers' Compensation: Attendant Care Services
2012-09-20
In North Carolina, as in other states, when an employee gets a work-related injury or occupational illness, the legal remedy is usually a workers' compensation claim. Very basically, the workers' compensation system is almost always the exclusive remedy for work injuries, paying benefits to injured workers no matter who was at fault. In exchange, the worker may normally not sue his or her employer in court for the harm.
North Carolina workers' compensation statutes require that the employer provide "medical compensation" to an employee with a covered work injury ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Greener and cleaner: Yeast-green algae mix improves water treatment
Acquired immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) associated with inactivated COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac
CIDEC as a novel player in abdominal aortic aneurysm formation
Artificial intelligence: a double-edged sword for the environment?
Current test accommodations for students with blindness do not fully address their needs
Wide-incident-angle wideband radio-wave absorbers boost 5G and beyond 5G applications
A graph transformer with boundary-aware attention for semantic segmentation
C-Path announces key leadership appointments in neurodegenerative disease research
First-of-its-kind analysis of U.S. national data reveals significant disparities in individual well-being as measured by lifespan, education, and income
Exercise programs help cut new mums’ ‘baby blues’ severity and major depression risk
Gut microbiome changes linked to onset of clinically evident rheumatoid arthritis
Signals from the gut could transform rheumatoid arthritis treatment
Pioneering research reveals some of the world’s least polluting populations are at much greater risk of flooding fuelled by climate change
UK’s health data should be recognized as critical national infrastructure, says independent review
A 36-gene predictive score of anti-cancer drug resistance anticipates cancer therapy outcomes
Someone flirts with your spouse. Does that make your partner appear more attractive?
Hourglass-shaped stent could ease severe chest pain from microvascular disease
United Nations ratifies framework to protect people on cash app
Oklahoma State basketball team joins the Nation of Lifesavers
Power of aesthetic species on social media boosts wildlife conservation efforts, say experts
Researchers develop robotic sensory cilia that monitor internal biomarkers to detect and assess airway diseases
Could crowdsourcing hold the key to early wildfire detection?
Reconstruction of historical seasonal influenza patterns and individual lifetime infection histories in humans based on antibody profiles
New study traces impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global movement and evolution of seasonal flu
Presenting a Janus channel of membranes for complete oil-and-water separation
COVID-19 restrictions altered global dispersal of influenza viruses
Disconnecting hepatic vagus nerve restores balance to liver and brain circadian clocks, reducing overeating in mice
Mechanosensory origins of “wet dog shakes” – a tactic used by many hairy mammals – uncovered in mice
New study links liver-brain communication to daily eating patterns
Defense or growth – How plants allocate resources
[Press-News.org] Distracted Driving and Car Accidents: Criminal Bans, Civil LiabilityOregon lawmakers have made some progress by passing handheld phone and texting bans for all drivers, but NHTSA data suggests that these measures do not go far enough to prevent distracted driving accidents.