Articles Posted in Automobile Accident

When shopping for car insurance, many people are put off by not knowing which of the many varieties of coverage they may actually need and which ones are merely there to line the pockets of insurance companies. A recent article by Yahoo Finance analyzed some standard insurance policies to come up with a guide for what kinds of coverage the average consumer needs. The Yahoo article gave each variety of coverage a ranking according to color: red meaning the policy is urgent, orange to signify important and yellow meaning least critical. First things first, liability coverage:

• Liability Coverage
• Urgency: Red
Liability coverage exists to pay for bodily injury and property damage that you or others cause while operating your vehicle. Liability coverage will also cover court costs if you’re sued as a result of an accident. Given the description, the necessity of the policy is pretty obvious. It’s this coverage that is designed to protect your assets and future earning power if you are ever involved in a bad accident. A bit of good news is that it typically doesn’t cost much (less than $50 every six months) to double your current liability coverage, so it’s probably better to be safe than sorry.

• Collision Coverage
• Rating: Yellow
Collision coverage is what pays to fix your car in the event of an accident. The value of this policy depends almost entirely on money; how old and how much your car is worth, how much a repair might cost and whether you’re able to afford the repair on your own without collision coverage.

While collision coverage is important, as your car ages and depreciates, it might not be a bad idea to increase your deductible so that your monthly premiums go down or even consider dropping collision all together. This is an instance where leasing your car will result in a guaranteed purchase as companies will require you to carry collision coverage.

• Medical Payments Coverage
• Rating: Orange
Medical-payments coverage ensures that reasonable medical expenses are paid for those in your vehicle, regardless of who caused the wreck. The importance of this policy depends on your situation, if you don’t have insurance or are lacking, move the color up to red and carry the maximum that your company will allow. If you’re an avid carpooler then you’ll also want increased coverage to ensure that everyone in your car has his or her medical care covered in the event of an accident.

• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
• Rating: Red
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, or UM/UIM, exists to pay for injuries that results from an accident caused by a driver who either totally lacks or does not have enough insurance coverage of their own. The number of uninsured drivers in North Carolina is significant, estimated at 8% who lack proper coverage. Given the risk of running into one of these drivers (pardon the pun), this kind of coverage is absolutely critical for drivers in the state. Even if you’re in an accident with someone who has insurance, a lot of times they might not have enough insurance to cover the injuries you actually sustain.

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In the last few years, traffic safety officials both in North Carolina and at the federal level have been focused on distracted driving, working to educate drivers on the dangers of talking, texting and emailing on mobile devices when behind the wheel. In doing so, however, it seems that many people are no longer focused on some of the more traditional forms of distraction while driving, such as eating and drinking, changing the radio and putting on makeup.

Now, a new study, mentioned in an ABC News article, appears to indicate that it may be time to direct more attention toward some of these other forms of behind-the-wheel distraction. In the study, researchers found that drivers who listen or sing along to their favorite tunes are more likely to get into car accidents than drivers who do not play music in the car.

The study was conducted recently by researchers in Australia, and the results of the study have been published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention. The researchers were specifically looking at how driving abilities were impacted by singing or listening to music in the car. The researchers attempted to compare how driving abilities were impacted when a person was singing and driving as opposed to when the driver was just listening or had no music on at all.

The researcher put drivers (a total of 21 individuals) through a simulation exercise. They were each tested on how well they were able to concentrate on driving while they were exposed to music. The researchers found that drivers who were listening to music on their car radio, or singing along to the radio, were much slower to respond or react to emergency situations than those drivers who had no music on in the car.

The reason, the researchers determined, is that singing while driving draws attention away from the road. Any activity that draws attention away from the road can be considered a distraction. Drivers, who sing in the car, were much more likely to vary their speeds while driving. These drivers were also found to drive at a much lower speed, compared to drivers who were not listening to any music. The researchers concluded that the most attentive drivers were those who were not listening to any music at all.

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A recent poll conducted by the AAA Foundation demonstrated results similar to those from the National Sleep Foundation Polls, which showed that a large percentage of Americans report driving under the influence of sleep. The most recent poll showed that one-third of those surveyed admitted to driving drowsy in the past 30 days. A 2005 NSF poll of approximately 1,000 people found that 60% of drivers, or about 168 million people, admitted that they had driven while sleepy in the preceding year; and 37% confessed that they had actually fallen asleep behind the wheel.

Though many people know that sleepy driving isn’t a good thing, they don’t understand just how dangerous it can be. Educating people to the dangers of drowsy driving is a key step in preventing unnecessary injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 100,000 crashes that are reported to the police each year are the direct result of fatigue and sleepiness. There’s no reason for such an enormous number of accidents to take place when simple steps can be taken to eliminate the risk.

The root of the problem is that many American are chronically sleep deprived. According to a study published in The Lancet, a quarter of all adults admit to not being happy with the amount of sleep they get each night. The results show that approximately 10% of adults meet the criteria for full-fledged insomnia.

The dangers of insomnia are great, especially for those on North Carolina roadways. Study after study has shown that those suffering from insomnia have symptoms similar to those suffering from severe sleep deprivation. Such sleep leads to an increased risk of accidents. Those who are surviving on much less sleep than they need are more likely to nod off at the wheel, especially when they’re driving alone or for long distances, increasing the risks of serious accidents and the possibility of causing harm to others.

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In a tragic story that highlights the dangers that lurk on North Carolina’s roadways, seven people were injured, including two who had to be freed from a crushed car, in a four-vehicle crash earlier this month on southbound Interstate 85 in north Charlotte.

The crash closed the southbound lanes of I-85 for nearly 90 minutes during morning rush hour after the wreck. The wreck happened at almost the exact location as another terrible crash only five days earlier.

A spokesperson for Medic says that seven people were taken to hospitals, including two who suffered life-threatening injuries. Charlotte fire Capt. Mark Basnight said a crew of 35 firefighters spent nearly 45 minutes working to free two injured people from a car that was involved in the wreck. Another car, a smaller Ford, was almost totally flattened against a semi that was part of the multi-car accident.

Apparently a truck that was hauling PVC pipe slammed on his brakes which then lead to the chain reaction collision. An SUV hit the truck which was then hit by the smaller Ford which in turn was smashed by a semi from behind. Finally, a pick-up truck hit the semi from behind.

The week before the chain reaction collision a 47-year-old woman was killed when she was hit from behind by a tractor-trailer. The wreck happened at the same exit off of I-75. According to the state’s highway patrol, traffic slowed suddenly but the driver of the semi failed to notice the rapid slow down, plowing into the back of the SUV and killing the driver.

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By now many of us have either heard of or had the opportunity to experience firsthand Apple’s helpful gadget dubbed “Siri.” The technology company recently had a major announcement about everyone’s favorite robot assistant, but it had nothing to do with the iPhone.

The company instead said that Siri would shortly be coming to a steering wheel near you. Several car companies have signed on to implement the new “Eye’s Free” feature in their vehicles. These companies include several of the big boys: BMW, General Motors, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, and Audi. The carmakers will allow drivers to integrate Siri with their car’s electronic systems and thus be able to access Siri through a steering wheel-mounted button.

Given this integration, it seems likely that such devices will also allow people to sync other features of their Apple products with their vehicles. This could include music, calling features, maps, text messaging and email, all with the helpful, voice-activated assistance of Siri.

Some believe such a system would be welcome to drivers who grow tired of having to manually enter in their destinations in the GPS. By making use of Siri’s natural language voice control system, drivers will supposedly be better able to keep their hands on the wheel and their minds on the task at hand, thus limiting the dangers associated with distracted driving.

Apple never got around to mentioning what, if any, restrictions would placed on Siri’s use in the car. Currently, Siri can be used to read and send text messages, get directions, find restaurants and movies, play music, get weather reports, answer random questions as well as a multitude of other tasks. This plethora of entertaining possibilities could become a liability rather than a benefit to drivers as the door becomes open to even more distractions.

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As the number of accidents on the roadways continue to increase, it’s important that victims take steps to protect themselves immediately following a car crash. Delay can only hurt your chances of collecting for damages later. The following are some tips for how best to protect yourself in the event of a car accident:

1. Write everything down
For victims of accidents, it is important to gather as much information as possible. Think about writing down the names and addresses of everyone who was involved in the accident, including any witnesses. If the victim is left incapacitated after an accident then someone else needs to think clearly and record the details.

After an accident it’s still important to keep records. Making notes of all the doctors’ appointments, diagnoses, prescriptions and symptoms can help if you end up pursuing a personal injury claim down the road.

2. Take pictures if you can
Pictures really do tell a thousand words, maybe more. This is definitely the case in the personal injury world where juries respond to photographic evidence. With so many people owning phones with great quality cameras, it is easier than ever for people to snap a picture of the situation right after an accident takes place. Victims with proof will find that the defendants are less able to claim things didn’t happen the way you say it did. Even insurance claims can move more smoothly with the benefits of pictures.

3. Keep everything in one place
It can be hard to keep everything organized when it comes to something as complicated as a personal injury case. It’s a good idea to start a file or folder that contains all the information relating to your case. It doesn’t have to be in perfect order; it’s just best that all the information can be found in once place.

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As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, one thing is certain–the roads will be increasingly filled with older drivers. Currently, thirteen percent, or 34 million Americans, are over sixty-five years of age. That number is expected to increase by 60% over the next fifteen years. Based on these numbers, it is projected that one in five drivers will be 65 or older by 2025.

While the older drivers may have more experience on the road, they are also responsible for a disproportionate number of accidents. A report released by TRIP states that although drivers over 65 account for 8% of all miles driven, they are involved in at least 17% of all reported crashes.

North Carolina is towards the top of the list in multiple statistical categories pertaining to older drivers. The state is fourth in the nation in raw number of older drivers killed in car accidents and fifth in the number of accidents involving at least one driver over the age of 65. North Carolina is ranked ninth in the nation for number of older licensed drivers. Unsurprisingly, the number one state in many of these categories is Florida.

Older drivers are more susceptible to serious injury from car accidents for a number of reasons. First, age comes with increased physical frailty and related medical issues. These issues include slower reaction time, poorer eyesight, and reduced muscle dexterity. Furthermore, when such accidents happen, injuries tend to be more severe due to this increased frailty. TRIP singles out “safely moving through intersections” as especially hazardous for older drivers.

Despite these numbers, no one is suggesting that we revoke the licenses of all older drivers. One of the major determining factors in quality of life is mobility and to deny that to an ever-increasing proportion of the population could only lead to trouble. Rather, it is being suggested that steps be taken to make the roads safer for older drivers. Some of the more prominent suggestions include clearer signs with larger lettering, increased width of pavement markings, widening lanes, and brighter lighting.

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