Amid Call for Nationwide Ban, Cal. Cellphone Laws Reduce Traffic Deaths

Distracted driving laws appear to be working in California, but at least one traffic agency thinks more needs to be done.

2012-10-26

October 26, 2012 (Press-News.org) Amid Call for Nationwide Ban, Cal. Cellphone Laws Reduce Traffic Deaths

Distracted driving has become a prominent issue in recent years. No wonder: distracted driving causes thousands of traffic deaths and nearly half a million car accidents each year. Drivers are 23 times more likely to get into a car accident when texting while driving, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. A University of Utah study found that a driver's use of a cellphone, even if it is hands-free model, is equivalent to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent, the level which all states presume a driver to be intoxicated.

California has been ahead of the curve when it comes to distracted driving. In 2008, California banned the use of handheld cellphones for all drivers. In addition, 16- and 17-year-olds cannot use hands-free devices. Since that time, the majority of states have passed legislation that, at a minimum, bans texting while driving.

Call for More Stringent Laws

Some agencies are calling for even more restrictions on cellphone use while driving. The National Transportation Safety Board recently recommended all states enact legislation that would ban all cell phone use by all drivers, whether handheld or hands-free. Currently no state has enacted such legislation.

Current California Laws Working

It is not clear that California or any other state will follow the NTSB's recommendation. However, California's existing laws seem to be performing their function admirably. Since 2008, traffic deaths involving handheld cellphone use by a driver are down 47 percent, while overall traffic deaths are down 22 percent, the California Office of Traffic Safety reported. In addition, enforcement is up, with the California Department of motor vehicles reporting that convictions for driver cellphone use have increased 52 percent since 2009.

While these statistics are encouraging, distracted driving is by no means a thing of the past. During daylight hours, at any given time 13.5 million drivers are using a handheld device, according to the NTSB. Since distracted drivers use 37 percent less brain power on driving than undistracted drivers, distracted driving poses a clear danger to everyone on the road.

If you have been injured in a car accident that may have been caused by a distracted driver, contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your rights and legal options for compensation.

Article provided by Law Offices of Mauro Fiore, Jr.
Visit us at http://www.fiorelegal.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

IRS Expands Offer in Compromise Plan

2012-10-26

IRS Expands Offer in Compromise Plan In 2011, the Internal Revenue Service began its "Fresh Start" initiative, a series of programs designed to help individuals and small business resolve unpaid tax debts and prevent tax liens. As part of Fresh Start, the IRS expanded its Offer in Compromise program in May 2012, with the intent of helping more people qualify. Those with tax debts should be aware of the OIC program and the changes the IRS made to it. What Is an Offer in Compromise? An offer in compromise is a proposal that a taxpayer makes to the IRS to ...

Department of Labor Reports Increase in Wage and Hour Violation Claims

2012-10-26

Department of Labor Reports Increase in Wage and Hour Violation Claims A recent report by the Today Show is calling attention to a growing problem: more and more employers are taking advantage of low- and mid-wage workers by avoiding payment of overtime wages. This trend is supported by an increase in lawsuits filed claiming violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). FLSA is designed to ensure workers receive proper compensation, covering a variety of labor protection rights including minimum wages and overtime pay. In many cases, overtime pay is required ...

Hospitals Get Creative in Attempts to Improve Patient Safety

2012-10-26

Hospitals Get Creative in Attempts to Improve Patient Safety The faulty care provided to patients in hospitals is a leading cause of death in the U.S., trailing only heart disease and cancer, U.S. government data shows. The government estimated in 2010 that faulty medical care contributed to the death of about 15,000 Medicare patients monthly, according to The Washingtonian. To promote safety of their patients -- whether they have Medicare or not -- doctors and nurses follow certain safety measures, such as following a short checklist to eliminate wrong-site surgeries. Checklists The ...

According to Morgan Law Group 1 in 8 U.S. Households Could Owe Estate Tax in 2013

2012-10-26

LIMRA, the worldwide association of insurance and financial services companies, has just released a report that finds approximately 14.7 million U.S. households - one in eight - face a potential estate tax liability if the estate tax law reverts back as planned to 2001 levels at the end of this year. The LIMRA report said that Congress would likely consider three different proposals for the estate tax when it reconvenes following the November elections: • Allowing the estate tax to revert back to 2001 levels of $1 million and 55% maximum tax; • Extending the current ...

Prepare for High Bushfire Risks this Season

2012-10-26

Home services company HomeSource, joins in urging homeowners to prepare for the high bushfire risks expected for this season. "The traditional bushfire season has only just started but already we have seen homes and businesses threatened by fire on the NSW Central Coast, Queensland's Darling downs and Atherton Tablelands as well as Albany in Western Australia," HomeSource Joint Managing Director, Pia Vogel, said. The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting higher-than-average temperatures for this spring and summer throughout Australia. This prediction together ...

Code Amber Announces Code Amber Pets

2012-10-26

Code Amber, the leader in Amber Alert publication and broadcasting on the Internet since 2002 announced this week the availability of their new service for missing pets, Code Amber Pets. Code Amber for Amber Alerts has been in operation for over 10 years now. To date they have delivered over 1.9 Billion Tickers to over 480,000 web sites and desktops that host the ubiquitous Code Amber Tickers and have published over 600 Amber Alerts in the US and Canada. "I founded Code Amber over 10 years ago in order to bring awareness of Amber Alert Missing Children reports ...

Bamboo Cabinets - The Future of Modern Cabinet Design and Refacing

2012-10-26

Bamboo cabinets may very well be the next wave or fad stretching through cabinet manufacturer's websites, but it is here to stay. Although often associated with tiki torches, swim-up bars, and tropical furniture, bamboo is a material that has several uses beyond island chic. When compressed into a workable material for furniture and bamboo cabinets, the finished product is a stylish, contemporary, even eye-catching work of art. The beauty of bamboo cabinets starts with the process by which the bamboo plywood manufacturers use to create the material. When the bamboo stalk ...

Make Your Own Real Life Achievements and Share Them!

2012-10-26

Any gamer will tell you how prestigious it is to acquire those XBox Achievements or PlayStation Trophies and now you can create your own, Real Life Achievements with the RLA Maker app for your iOS device (iPhone, iPod touch, iPad). According to About.com, "Achievements are a special way of both rewarding you for playing games as well as keeping you compelled to continue playing." What better way to keep you "playing" in real life than to award your friends and family with Real Life Achievement badges and points! RLA Maker allows you to add a ...

Pasternack Enterprises Appoints New Distributor for Brazil

2012-10-26

Pasternack Enterprises, Inc., a leading ISO 9001:2008 manufacturer and global supplier of RF and microwave products, announces that it has appointed Vermont Representacoes e Comercio Ltda. (Vermont Rep) as Pasternack's exclusive distributor for Brazil. Vermont Rep joins a growing list of international distributors who are partnering with Pasternack to expand their product offering and customer service worldwide. With this new relationship, Vermont Rep's customers now have access to the industry's broadest selection of quality RF and microwave components. Pasternack Enterprises ...

All Metal Fabrication Is Now Working with iWebContent for Marketing

2012-10-26

All Metal Fabrication is pleased to announce they will be working with iWebContent in an attempt to improve their search engine rankings and build their business online. In a world where many customers, both personal and businesses, are turning to the Internet to fulfill their needs, a strong web presence is a requirement. Through this partnership, iWebContent will work closely with All Metal Fabrication to help them build their online marketing to ensure their long-term success through the Internet. All Metal Fabrication is a metal fabrication company with years of ...