Injuryboard Commentary - Driving Safety

Arizonian Arrested After Hit And Run In Todd County

Mike Bryant — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:19:00 GMT

Thursday afternoon, a hit and run driver was arrested by the Todd County Sheriff. The pick up driver had hit a 71 year-old man and left the scene. Witnesses were able to describe the truck and spotted one matching the description in a driveway. The pedestrian was injured and taken to Long Prairie Memorial Hospital.

Often when the drivers are tracked down, it is determined that the driver was drunk, high or driving with no insurance. If you or a family member is ever involved with a hit and run driver, it is imperative that the police be contacted right away and they be told everything so that an investigation can be successful. All witnesses need to be spoken to and all evidence will need to be preserved.

This is also the time when you learn how good your own insurance coverage is. Your No Fault PIP coverage will be needed to cover your medical bills, wage loss, medical mileage and replacement services. If you have more than one car on your policy, hopefully you have stacked coverage which multiplies your minimum limits by your cars. The other coverage that will come in to play is your Uninsured motorist coverage. This is the coverage that you have to protect you when the other car has no coverage or is nowhere to be found. As I pointed out previously and other members has advised, this may be a vital coverage as more people are forgoing insurance coverage in tough economic times.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Two Single Car Accidents Remind Us That Winter Driving Requires Extra Care

Mike Bryant — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:47:00 GMT

Wednesday night, two separate collisions in northern Todd County were reported. Todd County Sheriff personal believe that snow played a role in both incidents.:

Around 7 am a eastbound pickup on Todd County Road 73 west of Hewitt lost control 73 and rolled.
An hour later, a southbound 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier on Todd County Road 23 near Hewitt went out of control, went into the ditch and rolled.

This is exactly the type of accident, I blogged about with: Single Car Accidents: Is There A Claim? . Hopefully, all of those involved will recover quickly, but if not the help of experienced Personal Injury attorneys can make a difference in getting to the bottom of what coverages are involved.

Despite the warm November it won't be long until we see winter conditions across the state. For all Drivers winter road tips from DPS and MnDOT include:

Always use seat belts.
Accelerate and decelerate slowly on icy/snow-covered roads to retain traction and avoid skids.
Do not use cruise control.
Do not “power up” hills, which may cause wheels to spin. Build momentum before reaching a hill and don’t stop while traveling uphill. Reduce speed before going downhill.
Know your brakes. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of the foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
Give yourself plenty of travel time. Don’t put your schedule before safety.
Clear snow and ice from vehicle windows, hood, headlights, brake lights and directional signals.
Headlights must be turned on when it is snowing or sleeting.

Most police officers asked say the key is usually to Just Slow Down.

Sgt. Jeff Wenker of the Marshall Police Department made a number of great suggestions concerning winter driving. They included:

Watch the weather, don't travel if the weather is bad
Carry extra clothing, extra blankets and extra food with you and a heat source such as Sterno or candles is not a bad idea to take along.
An empty can, such as a coffee can, can be used for bathroom breaks. Toilet paper and hand wipes could be useful, as well.
If you are on medications, always carry extra.
Don't store extra water in your vehicle because it will freeze, but take extra water with you before you leave on the trip.
Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and bring a charger with you.
Let someone know the route you will be taking and do not deviate from it.
Take your time. A four-hour trip might take five. It's easier to drive slow when you've allowed the time.
If you do slide off the road or have to pull over due to the weather or road conditions: Your car can be an effective shelter so don't leave it unless you have to. Windchills are dangerous and can kill if you are exposed for too long. A vehicle offers some protection from that.
If it's a white-out, you don't want to walk out, because you can lose your way.
Run the engine 10 minutes every hour to help keep you warm. Bundle up in the extra clothes and blankets.
Keep the windows open a crack so you stand less chance of being poisoned by carbon monoxide. Check the tail pipe periodically and clear it if necessary to keep the exhaust from coming back into the vehicle.

Hopefully, all of the suggestions will lead to lives being saved and people making it home safe this winter.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Five More Die This Weekend From Collisions On Minnesota Roads

Mike Bryant — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:54:00 GMT

There has been some tragic weekends this year on Minnesota roads. It was warm again, so did people start speeding up?

Two people were killed Sunday morning when they were hit head on by a pickup truck in the southbound lane of I-35 at Hwy. 8.
A 27-year-old Minneapolis man died Friday in a one-car rollover crash on Interstate 35 in Pine County.
A South Dakota teen was killed in a one-vehicle crash south of Beaver Creek on Friday.
A 63-year-old man died Saturday after he suffered a broken neck and other injuries in the Oct. 12 single-vehicle crash in Chaska.

These deaths, like any other on Minnesota roads is particularly unfortunate considering it comes after the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS) reported that overall the number of highway deaths has been down for 2009 with more than 300 people having died this year in Minnesota traffic collisions. There were 458 deaths in 2008, which was a drop from 510 in 2007. Sorrow for the family of all of these people that were killed goes out.

It will be important to look back and try to figure out why there were certain clusters of highway weekend deaths in 2009.

Another Deadly Weekend On Minnesota Roads, Mike Bryant, October 10, 2009 8:28 PM

Worries On The Rise That This Is Becoming Another Deadly Weekend On Minnesota Roads, Mike Bryant | June 28, 2009 9:42 AM

Another Weekend Of Increased Minnesota Highway Deaths Continues To Cause Concerns, Mike Bryant | June 06, 2009 11:14 PM

Deadly Weekend On Minnesota Roads,Mike Bryant , May 25, 2009 12:12 AM

These are way to many deadly weekends. As with any death in a Minnesota motor vehicle collision, there are many issues that will need to be reviewed. My partner, Joe Crumley, addressed this topic in a recent article for the Minnesota Lawyers Trial magazine. I was interviewed last year on the same topic.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Time For Arizona, Florida, and South Dakota To Protect Those Kids

Mike Bryant — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:23:00 GMT

The safety of booster seats for 4 to 8 year olds is beyond question. As was pointed out by my partner Joe Crumley, there are many advantages to extending the protection. The Minnesota Legislature went through the issues and with very little opposition, went for protection over the doubters. It's a group that needs to be protected. I was reminded of this last week when a mother called me and had two kids who were all shaken up after a rear end collision destroyed the back of the car. Thankfully, that's all they were and I would suspect that it was the safety of their being wrapped in booster seats that made the biggest difference.

Right now 47 states and the District of Columbia require booster seats for kids who are too big for child safety seats with harnesses, but too small to properly wear a regular seat belt. The hold outs are Arizona, Florida and South Dakota. The National Transportation Safety Board is working to change that. "If they use a booster seat and a seat belt, rather than a seat belt alone, they reduce their risk of injury by 59 percent," Deborah Hersman, head of the NTSB says. "And what the data and the facts tell us is that it's much safer to be in a booster seat that restrains your child properly in the event of an accident."

I'm a big fan of Mad Men on AMC. It was interesting last year when they showed the mother driving down the road and suddenly having to stop. The daughter, who was standing up in the back seat, went flying off the seat and ended up in the foot area on the passenger side. A different time and while a very simple scene, was indeed a scary moment. Hopefully, these states will come up to speed and join in the protection of these small children.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Just Because It's Twitter, You Still Can't Text And Drive

Mike Bryant — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:26:00 GMT

My partner Joe Crumley wrote a great piece about the dangers of texting. He, like a number of other writers here at the InjuryBoard, continue to point out the dangers of texting and driving. Go watch the video that a couple of members have posted.

A recent study concerning the social networking tool, Twitter, points out there is more reason for concern. According to Crowd Science, about 11% of Twitter users admitted to accessing social media while driving in the preceding 30 days, compared to only 5% of other social media users. 29% of Twitter users said they had accessed social media from cars at some point in the past, compared with 13% of non-users. This is one too many people reading and twittering while they should be driving.

Since this post will go out on a tweet, I truly hope not one single person reads it while they're driving. It makes you wonder how broad we need to make the law to make sure that people get the idea. A number of other interesting findings from the study:

- 41% of Twitter users prefer to contact friends via social media rather than telephone, compared with 25% of non-Twitter social media users, and 11% (vs. only 6% of those not using Twitter) actually prefer social media over face-to-face contacts.

- More than twice as many males than females (32% to 15%) access Twitter primarily through a third-party application.

- 43% of Twitter users employ a third-party application at least some of the time, and 26% as their main mode of access.

- Twitter users tend to be older than non-Twitter social media users (54% over 30 years old, vs. 42%), twice as likely to be self-employed or entrepreneurs (18% vs. 9%) and to be planning to start a business during the next six months, and more tech-savvy (24% vs. 15%

Driving needs to be driving time.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Winter Driving: Can Standing Corn Make The Road Safer And Save Money?

Mike Bryant — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:26:00 GMT

Last winter, the Minnesota Department of Transportation started a project of planting living snow fences of shrubs and prairie grasses along I-94 between Freeport and Albany. The project involved the state working with local conservation groups and landowners at 64 sites over the 20 miles of planting. The idea was the result of a study that was started in 2001. They found that less salt and sand was used, there were no accidents, and that there was less blowing and drifting snow.

On average, Minnesota taxpayers spend about $100-million on annual snow removal, trying to keep the roads clear of snow drifts and ice patches to help prevent accidents. MnDOT is now looking at using standing corn. Corn has been used in other states going back to the 50's.

Minnesota farmers who are willing to leave about 16-rows of corn stalks standing throughout the winter can earn $1.50 per bushel more than the current corn prices. It is believed that the cornstalks serve as snow fences capable of capturing 12-thousand tons of snow over a quarter of a mile area.

This is the kind of road changes that save lives and hopefully in the long run will save money. It may end up being a plan for the whole state.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Truck Spins Out And Kills Two in Otter Tail County

Mike Bryant — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:35:00 GMT

Friday afternoon, a truck lost control in the snow and hit an oncoming car head on. The crash occurred early Friday afternoon near the Otter Tail County town of French, about 6 miles west of Fergus Falls. Two people in the pickup,the driver and his mother were killed. Two others in the truck and the driver of the other vehicle were injured.

These deaths, like any other on Minnesota roads is particularly unfortunate considering it comes a month after the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS) reported that overall the number of highway deaths has been down for 2009 with more than 300 people having died this year in Minnesota traffic collisions. There were 458 deaths in 2008, which was a drop from 510 in 2007. In this tragic case, sorrow for the family of the couple killed goes out.

It's October, but tragedies like this remind us that we are just starting to see snow. It's never to early to be safe and review the winter road tips from DPS and MnDOT :

Always use seat belts.
Accelerate and decelerate slowly on icy/snow-covered roads to retain traction and avoid skids.
Do not use cruise control.
Do not “power up” hills, which may cause wheels to spin. Build momentum before reaching a hill and don’t stop while traveling uphill. Reduce speed before going downhill.
Know your brakes. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of the foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
Give yourself plenty of travel time. Don’t put your schedule before safety.
Clear snow and ice from vehicle windows, hood, headlights, brake lights and directional signals.
Headlights must be turned on when it is snowing or sleeting.

Most police officers asked say the key is usually to Just Slow Down.

As with any death in a Minnesota motor vehicle collision, there are many issues that will need to be reviewed. My partner, Joe Crumley, addressed this topic in a recent article for the Minnesota Lawyers Trial magazine. I was interviewed last year on the same topic.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Why No Seatbelt On Rural Roads?

Mike Bryant — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

There have been a number of blog posts about the national increased use of seat belts. Minnesota just reported the best numbers we have seen ever. This is great news and means more people making it home alive after saver crashes. Statewide from 2006 to 2008, 1,097 vehicle occupants died in crashes, and 539 were not buckled up.

At the same time, there was recently a report abut the high percentage of deaths on rural roads. Speculation has involved the usual suspects of speeding, drinking, and inexperience drivers. A deeper look into the seat belt report, may have the best answer.

Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Todd, Faribault, Cass, Wright, and Beltrami counties had the highest percentage of non seatbelt users in the State. Hopefully, with increased education these numbers can be improved.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Touring El Salvadorian Band Roll Van On Icy Roads

Mike Bryant — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:57:00 GMT

Saturday morning, a touring El Salvadorian band that was traveling by van across Jackson County lost control and rolled . The Minnesota State Patrol responded to the accident and found that due to icy conditions the van slipped, flipped, rolled alongside a metal guardrail and came to rest upside down on Interstate 90.

All eight band members were injured, with two of them in critical condition. It was reported that one of the most severely injured was ejected from the van. Two of the band members were airlifted , the rest were taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Sounds like they are all a long ways from home at the time of these sever injuries. Hopefully, they will heal quickly. These cases can have complicated No fault and insurance coverage issues.

If you are in an accident, make sure to get the names of anyone who indicates they saw what happened. If you witness an accident, check to see if everyone is OK and stay around or at least give the drivers your contact information. If you are injured, seek the advice of an attorney who does that kind of work and who can explain your coverages and rights.

It's October, but tragedies like this remind us that we are just starting to see snow. It's never to early to be safe and review the winter road tips from DPS and MnDOT :

Always use seat belts.
Accelerate and decelerate slowly on icy/snow-covered roads to retain traction and avoid skids.
Do not use cruise control.
Do not “power up” hills, which may cause wheels to spin. Build momentum before reaching a hill and don’t stop while traveling uphill. Reduce speed before going downhill.
Know your brakes. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of the foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
Give yourself plenty of travel time. Don’t put your schedule before safety.
Clear snow and ice from vehicle windows, hood, headlights, brake lights and directional signals.
Headlights must be turned on when it is snowing or sleeting.

Most police officers asked say the key is usually to Just Slow Down.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant

Rural Roads: More Dangerous?

Mike Bryant — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:35:00 GMT

The Center for Excellence in Rural Safety at the University of Minnesota has released a report that more people die each year in rural roadway accidents than in urban settings. Looking at the number of collisions that our office has, it seems clear that many of these deaths are due to the classic reasons:

Speed
Drinking
No Seat belts

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 56 percent of the 37,261 traffic deaths in the United States last year occurred on rural roads, though only about 23 percent of the population lives in rural areas. The University also looked into what could be done to reduce these deaths. The suggestions they came up with were:

Examine more rural roadway crash factors and combinations of factors for additional clarification.

Improve the metrics used to describe or define rural roadways in the United States.

Use the primary characteristics of rural roadway crashes as the basis for safety improvement measures and programs implemented in rural areas.

Include measures and strategies that improve driver decision-making as one of the focus or emphasis areas of a comprehensive safety program.

Fund projects that continue to help upgrade and apply GIS tools to plot and evaluate safety data with respect to driver behavior and roadway conditions.

Scientifically evaluate the impacts of the safety improvement programs described in this report.

With any death in a Minnesota motor vehicle collision, there are many issues that will need to be reviewed. My partner, Joe Crumley, addressed this topic in a recent article for the Minnesota Lawyers Trial magazine. I was interviewed last year on the same topic. Hopefully, the study and the resulting suggested changes the future numbers for these deaths will go down.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Bryant