November 26, 2018 /
DRIVE-Safe Act: A Look Under the Hood
Three senators introduced the DRIVE-Safe Act to Congress in August. The controversial bill, which would lower the age requirement for driving a big-rig across state lines to 18, is meant to combat a growing shortage of truckers in the American economy. Currently, 18-year-olds are allowed to drive big-rigs, but they may not cross state lines until the age of 21. The Trucker Shortage America has a major truck driver shortage. American shippers ne...
November 19, 2018 /
Winter Months Most Dangerous for Truck Crashes
Truck accidents are some of the most dangerous accidents on the road. While the driver of a big rig is often protected from the effects of an accident, the typical 3,000-pound passenger vehicle is no match for an 18-wheeler weighing 80,000 pounds and traveling at highway speeds. Accidents involving big trucks are much more likely than other accidents to prove fatal. When they prove fatal, the driver of the truck is only very rarely the party k...
November 5, 2018 /
The Critical Problem of Vehicle Fatalities in Indiana’s Workplaces
We often think of our workplace in simple narratives: we sit behind a desk; we teach in a school; wear a hard hat and get dirty; or, maybe, cook with food. However, the reality is that our jobs usually include a variety of responsibilities. Consider the hospital-sponsored home health care service where the nurse is exposed to common hospital workplace risks, but also the risks associated with driving to and then helping care for someone in their ...
October 29, 2018 /
Green Jobs: Are They as Hazardous as Traditional Jobs?
The renewable energy job sector is surging in Indiana—green jobs associated with such employment amount to 2.7 percent of our workforce. Indiana’s share of renewable energy jobs, 83,752, is the second highest of all the Midwest states. And, within our state, Indianapolis (Marion County) leads the pack. While we might imagine some green jobs to be safer, “nicer” jobs, the fact is that the workplace injuries and fatalities from such jobs...
October 22, 2018 /
Reduce Crash Fatalities in Indiana by 50 Percent?
Recently Indiana released their Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Highway Safety Plan, prepared by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI). The Traffic Safety Division (TSD) of the ICJI is responsible for managing the federal funds that support the state programs focused on decreasing Indiana’s traffic injuries and deaths. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has a stated goal of cutting U.S. traffic fata...
October 15, 2018 /
How About Some Good News?
It’s not all bad news these days, despite how you might feel after regular exposure to the media. Our state police have received a high honor related to keeping us safe on interstates and Indiana state roads. The enforcement officers and civilian employees of the Indiana State Police’s (ISP) Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division were acclaimed best in the nation at making sure large trucks obey our laws and safety standards. Their ove...
September 17, 2018 /
Fall 2018 May Bring More Motorcyclist Deaths
If you ride a motorcycle, you most likely have a favorite season. For many riders, it’s the fall. Or, perhaps your motorcycle is your main means of transport, so you ride it year-round. A greater number of people are enjoying motorcycles these days: it’s estimated that more than 8 million motorcycles are regularly cruising our highways. However, enjoying the pleasures of biking comes with a downside—motorcycle deaths in Indiana have jumped ...
September 10, 2018 /
A New Danger to Workers: Climate Change
Temperatures around the world have been rising for several years, and it looks as if 2018 may be considered one of the hottest summers on record. Extreme heat has already killed dozens of people in the U.S. this summer. For those who must earn their living by working outside in the heat, rising temperatures have placed them at risk. Several workers have already died during the summer of 2018 from dangerous heat conditions. Heat can also seriously...
September 3, 2018 /
Dangerous Hope Chests
Do you have a cedar chest, otherwise known as a “hope chest,” in your home? Perhaps you inherited it, or maybe you bought it secondhand. If you have children in your home, pay close attention to the following recall. They could be at great risk. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants everyone who has a cedar chest in their home to check and see whether it is a “Lane” or “Virginia Maid” brand chest. These chests ma...
August 27, 2018 /
Can That Truck Stop?
Large trucks are subject to many regulations and inspection processes to ensure that they are safe and roadworthy. But if a truck’s braking systems do not work, all the other regulations and inspections do not mean much. If a truck can’t stop, devastation and destruction of human life often follow. In a major study done by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), it was determined that, when a large truck crash was caused b...
August 6, 2018 /
What Does “Loss of Consortium” Mean?
In a personal injury case, most of the damage claims are based on the injuries and suffering of the accident victim; but some damages are based on the suffering of loved ones. One of these types of damages is called loss of consortium. You may have heard the phrase and wondered about it. Generally, loss of consortium is intended to compensate the victim’s loved ones for the repercussions that the victim’s injuries or death have caused. Spe...
July 30, 2018 /
A “Wake-Up Call”?
Among young adults, the death rate from 1999 to 2013 dropped 33 percent. However, the death rate abruptly reversed direction between 2013 and 2016, rising 12 percent. According to a recent report released June 1, 2018, by the National Center for Health Statistics at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). the increase in deaths is due to motor vehicle accidents, drug overdoses, suicides, and homicides, and not to illnesses li...
July 23, 2018 /
Make Your Time off Safer
It’s high summer, and there’s no denying that many of our minds are on vacation time and having fun. Whether you’ll be driving, taking a plane, or staying home, we have some ideas for you so that your entire family can enjoy vacation time safely. Hitting the Highway AAA estimates that nearly 47 million of us will be on the road over the Fourth of July holiday alone. If you’ll be joining the many millions traveling by passenger vehicle t...
July 16, 2018 /
Don’t Leave the Kids in the Car!
Summer’s heat is in full swing, and with it comes an increased number of reports about children dying because they were left in a hot car. On average, each year 37 kids lose their lives to this senseless, avoidable tragedy. In June 2018 alone, we’ve already had two regional deaths due to hot cars: a 3-year-old in Anderson, Indiana, and a 2-year-old in Crittenden, Kentucky. To date in Indiana (late June, 2018), nine kids have suffered motor ve...
July 9, 2018 /
Death from a “Mech Mod” Vape Pen
It’s been noted previously that e-cigarettes can explode, usually because of the lithium-ion (LI) battery in use. A number of e-cigarette accidents have taken place with horrific results. But in May, 2018, a vape pen malfunction meant death in St. Petersburg, Florida, where a man was found burned on 80 percent of his body. It is believed to be the first death directly attributed to a vape pen or e-cigarette. But it wasn’t the burns that ki...
