Georgia Truck Accident Lawyers Blog

In the last year, vehicle safety officials have banned truck drivers from texting while driving in order to prevent serious traffic accidents, including Georgia trucking accidents.

Now, the U.S. Department of Transportation has banned all truck drivers and bus drivers from using cell phones while driving.

Some may cry that this is a violation of freedoms we enjoy as Americans, but our Georgia trucking accident lawyers
have seen the devastation caused by distracted driving, especially in situations that involved large tractor trailers.

Think about it -- when you are operating a 3,000-pound vehicle and take your eyes off the road for just a second to see who's calling or reach down to pick up your phone, you could easily slam into another vehicle, a pedestrian or hit a guardrail, causing a major pile-up. It happens nearly every day.

Now imagine the devastation caused by a truck driver, operating an 80,000-pound vehicle, carrying large logs, tons of dirt or construction supplies, heavy vehicles or boxes of goods. The devastation can be tragic.

As smartphones become more and more prevalent and provide increased options and tools for users, they are more attractive to use inside the vehicle. For truckers who spend hours on the roads of our nation, they can be an escape from the mundane task of long-haul trucking.

But no more, the Department of Transportation has said. In November, officials implemented a final rule that specifically prohibits interstate truck and bus drivers from using their cell phones at all while they drive.

Texting is certainly a major hazard while driving, but consider that a ban of texting doesn't take into consideration people who want to play a popular game, update their Facebook status or send a tweet out to followers on Twitter. Our phones can do so much that using them while driving can be extremely deadly.

In 2009, the Federal Motor Vehicle Carrier Safety Administration reported that nearly 5,500 people died as a result of distracted driving. That's on top of nearly 500,000 who were injured because of texting, calling or otherwise using their phones or being distracted instead of focusing on the road.

But it's not as if truck drivers are the only culprits here. Every day drivers must take more precautions when driving and the National Traffic Safety Board is attempting to help by calling for a ban throughout the country on every driver using cell phones or text messaging while they drive.

Our Georgia truck driving accident lawyers wish everyone safe travel this holiday season and throughout the year. Eliminate distractions, including the use of cell phones and avoid large trucks driven by people who may or may not be following the law regarding texting. Arrive at your destination safely.

Continue reading "Nation's Officials Call For Cell Phone Ban For All Drivers, Including Georgia Truckers" »

Last year, Governor Sonny Perdue signed a bill into law after a Morgan County teen died while texting behind the wheel. The law, Caleb's law, makes it illegal for all drivers to text behind the wheel to avoid distracted driving-related car accidents in Atlanta and elsewhere throughout the state. Distraction-related traffic accidents are an all too common occurrence on our roadways. As the holiday season approaches, we'll be seeing more traffic on our roadways and increased risks for an accident. Drivers are asked to be cautious and remain attentive when driving throughout the rest of the year and well through 2012.

“We need to do everything possible to focus young drivers on the road ahead,” said Governor Perdue regarding HB 23. “I want to thank Rep. Ramsey for working hard on this bill.”

Our Atlanta trucking accident lawyersunderstand that truckers are already forbidden from texting while driving under federal law. Still, distracted driving is a leading cause of tractor-trailer accidents in Georgia and elsewhere. Additionally, a good majority of teen car accidents are caused by young drivers who are using cell phones and text messaging devices behind the wheel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the U.S. Department of Transportation recently launched its "OMG" public service announcement (PSA) campaign to raise awareness about these incidents. These dangers are exacerbated around large trucks during the busy holiday travel season. Parents are urged to discuss the importance of alert and focused driving habits with their teens as well as the risks they'll be facing through holiday traffic this year.

The "OMG" campaign will be aired at Regal Cinema theaters around the nation, at gas station pump-top screens that are owned by Outcast PumpTop TV and online through the month of December.

"Teen drivers are particularly vulnerable to distracted driving, which is why we are making an extra effort to ensure they understand the dangers," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

As we head into the holiday travel season, teen drivers will be heading out with the rest of us to visit friends and family members and on winter vacations. This PSA is being used to reach teens by using their popular texting lingo, including "LOL" and "L8R."

These PSA will be shown on nearly 6,600 movie screens at more than 525 theaters across the county in addition to roughly 12,000 television screens at gas pumps. They'll also be available on the Distraction.gov website. The USDOT is using these mediums as it believes the message will reach the most number of teens this way.

It's no secret that teenagers want to remain connected with their buddies. Unfortunately, many teenagers keep the connection going while they're behind the wheel. This PSA is being used to illustrate the dangers, risks and consequences of texting behind the wheel.

As the holidays approach, parents are again urged to talk with their teen drivers about the dangers of texting a driving. Your conversation may be able to help save a life on our roadways. Have a safe and Happy Holiday!

Continue reading "New Campaign to Reach Teens and Risks of Distraction-Related Car Accidents in Georgia, Nation" »

The National Sleep Foundation and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety have joined forces for this year's Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, educating the public on ways to reduce the risks of fatigue-related car accidents in Atlanta and elsewhere. The 2011 campaign is taking place this week through Saturday.

Our Atlanta trucking accident attorneys understand that truck driver fatigue has been a popular conversation topic among safe driving advocates in recent months. Trucking accidents overall kill more than 5,000 people ever year and injure about 150,000. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that there were more than 750 fatalities and another 20,000 injuries resulting from accidents with fatigued truckers. Unfortunately, it happens all too often. A driver of a commercial truck gets sleepy at the wheel because he or she has worked too many hours and hasn't slept enough.

To help raise awareness about this dangerous driving habit, AAA released its findings regarding drowsy driving from a recent study, according to CBS Atlanta. The study concluded that although more than 95 percent of surveyed drivers said that drowsy driving was completely unacceptable, about a third of all drivers were still guilty of the dangerous habit.

Drowsy driving can produce fatal consequences, especially when a large truck is involved. Fatigued drivers are reportedly involved in one out of every six deadly accidents. Sleepy drivers are among the top contributors to trucking accidents in the U.S., contributing to nearly 15 percent of all fatal trucking accidents.

More than 40 percent of drivers who were surveyed by AAA admitted to having fallen asleep behind the wheel at least once. What's alarming is that a majority of these drivers fell asleep while they were driving at high speeds.

"Drivers have a tendency to underestimate the impact being tired has on their driving ability, which puts themselves and others at risk," said AAA Foundation president and CEO Peter Kissinger.

You may be getting sleepy at the wheel if you are having trouble focusing on the road, you are swerving in and out of your lane, you can't clearly remember the last few miles driven, you're yawning excessively, feeling irritable, restless or aggressive, or overlooking traffic lights, for instance.

How to prevent drowsy driving:

-Get at least seven hours of sleep before you head out on a long trip.

-Take a break every two hours or every 100 miles.

-Travel with a passenger. Switch drivers when you start to feel sleepy.

-Never drive during times that you'd normally be sleeping.

Remember that one of the worst things you can do behind the wheel if you feel sleepy is to try to power through it. If you start feeling tired, the best thing to do is pull over in a safe spot and rest.

Continue reading "Drowsy Driving Prevention Week Aims to Curb Fatigue-Related Trucking Accidents in Georgia and Elsewhere" »

According to Ray LaHood, U.S. Transportation Secretary, the “Faces of Distracted Driving” public service announcement has been viewed more than 100,000 times. This PSA was released by the U.S. Department of Transportation back in November of 2010. The 30-second announcement uses a number of stories from residents across the country who have been the victim of distracted driving-related car accidents in Atlanta and elsewhere.

Our Atlanta trucking accident attorneys understand how dangerous driver distractions can be. The need for focused and alert driving is extremely important as we head into the holiday season. Road traffic will be increasing as the end of the year approaches. During this time, the risks for a potentially fatal accident increase as well. Drivers are urged to curb all distractions to avoid an accident.

“I thank all of the families of distracted driving victims who have bravely chosen to share their stories of loss with the world,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

No text message or phone call is worth risking the life of an innocent motorist. The videos from the U.S. Department of Transportation aim to reveal the true consequences of distracted driving to motorists nationwide.

There were approximately 5,500 people who were killed in 2009 because of motor-vehicle accidents that reported the involvement of a distracted driver. About 500,000 people were injured in these types of incidents throughout the year as well.

According to Fox News, truck drivers are currently prohibited from text messaging while driving, but laws to make it illegal for truckers to talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel are still pending. As long as drivers are allowed to engage in distractions behind the wheel, we will continue to see innocent lives lost on our roadways.

Every year, we see far too many accidents on our roadways that are the result of driver distractions. These accidents oftentimes end fatally when a large truck is involved. Transportation officials continue to work at eliminating the life-threatening habit of driving while engaging in distractions. All we need is more driver responsibility to curb the dangers.

"The risks of texting while driving are beyond belief," said Boyd Stephenson of the American Trucking Association.

Distracted driving can be classified in many categories, including:

-Eating.

-Smoking.

-Drinking.

-Playing with the radio.

-Surfing the web.

-Applying makeup.

-Interacting with passengers.

-Operating a GPS device or a paper map.

-Talking on a cell phone.

-Text messaging.

All of these behaviors can lead to a potentially fatal accident and can be prevented. Until there is a federal law banning this behavior and more enforcement efforts to can the act, drivers are asked to make responsible decisions behind the wheel and to pay attention to the roadways and to traffic.

Continue reading "USDOT Announces Success of Distracted-Driving Campaign to Fight Against Car Accidents in Georgia, Elsewhere" »