October 1, 2018 /
Can Cell Phones PREVENT Distracted Driving?
You probably had to read the title twice, right? While cell phones are often the primary cause of distracted driving, the increased attention and concern with regard to this problem is leading to some creative ways to address the role of mobile phones and distracted drivers. Technology companies, truck fleets, and Indiana police officers all have innovative ways to prevent distraction and help identify distracted drivers. Distraction affects a...
September 24, 2018 /
Indianapolis Road Construction: Are You Safer Now?
While we all appreciate the potholes being filled in before Old Man Winter arrives again, road construction and maintenance can make us groan with impatience. Some road repairs can lead to improved road safety, such as when guardrails are added, when engineering errors are corrected to create a safer roadway, or, yes, when fixing potholes. Other repairs with positive results include new traffic lights, new pedestrian safety features, improved tra...
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 20, 2018 /
Tailgating Trucks? They Might Be Platooning
The next time you see one tractor-trailer closely tailgating another, the situation could be normal—the new normal, that is. Something called “platooning” is becoming legal in a number of states as technology advances, making this sort of behavior not only legally acceptable, but also safe. What is Platooning? Wireless electronic communications combined with other technology allow two semis to follow each other at close distances—as clo...
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...
June 18, 2018 /
What Are the Real Reasons for Motor Vehicle Crashes?
Sometimes, establishing the reasons for a car crash is complicated. One factor that can make determinations even more imprecise is that state crash report forms used at the scene often lack the appropriate fields or places to enter codes that would explain the precise reason for the collision. Because each state uses its own form, no consistency exists. Compiling accurate national statistics becomes difficult, producing results that are just plai...
June 11, 2018 /
Most Common Killers
Although you might not want to think about it, we all die sooner or later. Approximately 2.6 million of us passed away in the U.S. during 2014, according to the CDC. But do you know what the odds are for the most likely causes of death? We have some 2016 statistics, courtesy of the National Safety Council (NSC), that detail the most likely ways we are to die in the United States. Keep in mind that the odds listed below apply to our entire popu...
May 21, 2018 /
Don’t Become a Statistic This Memorial Day Weekend
Most of us consider Memorial Day weekend to be the start of summer -- the perfect time to visit family or enjoy the outdoors. About 35 million of us took to the road in 2017, driving more than 50 miles over the holiday weekend, and 2018 may be shaping up to surpass that figure. Don’t set out on your trip until you learn why Memorial Day weekend is the most dangerous one to be on the road. The Riskiest Holiday Weekend All Year Did you know tha...
May 14, 2018 /
Pre-Existing Conditions and Motor Vehicle Accidents
If you have a pre-existing medical condition and have sustained injuries in a motor vehicle crash where the other party was negligent, you may be concerned that you cannot win your case. While it can be more difficult to win, having a pre-existing condition does not negate the fact that the other person caused the accident and that you are suffering in ways that you weren’t before the accident. The insurance company for the at-fault party in...
May 8, 2018 /
Autonomous Car Fatalities: A Question of Liability
A 49-year-old woman died on March 18, 2018, after an autonomous Uber vehicle, a Volvo SUV, struck her while she was crossing a road in Tempe, Arizona. The facts are: A “safety” driver was behind the wheel who did not take measures to avoid the crash, but who was found to be unimpaired. The woman crossed at night, but not at a crosswalk. No passengers were in the Uber vehicle at the time. The SUV was part of Uber’s Phoenix-area...
April 20, 2018 /
Truckers Driving Dangerously: Unsafe Lane Changes
While the vast majority of large truck drivers exercise proper attention when it’s time to move into another lane, a few bad apples drive more dangerously, resulting in injuries and deaths for innocent victims. Abrupt lane changes by large commercial vehicles create havoc. The trailer that’s part of a semi often extends to 53 feet, and, in some cases, even longer. Such a vehicle takes up a lot of space on the road, making lane changes a matte...
April 12, 2018 /
How Kids Get Hurt in Non-Traffic Accidents
Not all automotive dangers to your children happen on the roads. Some can occur in your own driveway. "Non-traffic accidents," as they are known, result in hundreds of fatalities and 95,000 injuries a year for children 14 and under. Generally, the risk of injury and death is greater with young children. They often cannot be seen by the driver when they are in front of or behind a vehicle, and they do not fully understand the consequences of th...
March 9, 2018 /
PERCLOS: The Newest Way to Detect Drowsy Drivers
How many times have you seen a weaving car on the road and wondered, is that driver under the influence? Did you ever consider that they might be sleepy and not drunk? It turns out that drowsy driving is a much bigger problem than the official statistics would lead you to believe. The U.S. government’s figures have traditionally pegged drowsy driving as responsible for, at most, 2 percent of all crashes. But a new study using the PERCLOS m...
March 1, 2018 /
Indiana’s Future Includes Driverless Cars
Indiana may become the 22nd state to provide guidelines for the manufacture and use of autonomous motor vehicles, if House Bill 1341 becomes law. Introduced by State Representative Ed Soliday of Valparaiso, the bill consists of a number of regulations regarding autonomous vehicles, including safety standards and the creation of an automated vehicle oversight task group. Some guidelines for the autonomous vehicle industry have already been appr...
