While most tend to believe that the worst traffic accidents happen on the interstate, statistics show that most fatal motor vehicle accidents actually occur on rural roads. Currently, two-thirds of the nation’s fatal accidents happening on rural roads. This is why, according to reports from News Channel 5, the state of Ohio has implemented the High Risk Rural Roads Program.

The campaign, which was created by the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), gives federal funding to safety improvement initiatives along secondary roads deemed to be at high-risk of serious accidents.

So what determines if a road is high-risk? Researchers considered a road high-risk if the crash rate for fatalities and incapacitating injuries on that road exceeds the statewide average.

One local road that could see improvement from the program is CR191 through Bellevue. The road was put on the list of high-risk roads after 44 accidents were reported along the stretch last year.

The Ohio car accident lawyers with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy are excited to see funding going towards projects to improve Ohio’s highways system in order to make it safer for all of those who use it. If you are suffering injuries from a car accident that occurred on a rural road, contact an experienced lawyer today for a free initial consultation.

As party-goers prepare for the festivities associated with the upcoming Super Bowl, law enforcement in the state of Ohio is preparing as well. According to Channel 5 News, state and local law enforcement, including the Brunswick Police Department, will be increasing their presence through both sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols in an effort to deter drunk drivers Super Bowl weekend.

Officers say that these two methods of catching drunk drivers has been found effective at reducing the number of fatal accidents associated with alcohol in the state over the last several years. Despite their best efforts, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) estimates that in Ohio alone, 400 people will die, 15,000 will be injured, and 20,000 will be involved in an alcohol-related crash every year.

This is why a spokesman for the Brunswick Police Department, Lieutenant Brian Ohlin, offered these tips to keep safe during and after your Super Bowl get together:

• Make sure to drink responsibly, utilize designated drivers, and make sure everyone who is drinking is of age.
• Provide plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages.
• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game, just like they do at the stadium.

The Ohio car accident lawyers with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy hope that these tips will encourage sports fans to keep safety in mind during and after the big game.

Police in Parma, Ohio, say that an ice-covered windshield is to blame for a pedestrian being hit by a car this morning. An article released by News Channel 5 says that the accident happened on Pelham Drive, a residential area of the city.

Detective Marty Compton, spokesman for the Parma Police Depatment, said in a press conference that the 42-year-old victim was walking her dog near the street when she was hit from behind by a 31-year-old driver. The victim was then transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Officers who responded to the scene determined that the driver hit the woman because he could not see out of an ice-covered windshield. The man was cited for having an obstructed view.

Obstructed views account for thousands of accidents and injuries each year, yet are one of the most preventable crash factors there are. Obstructed views can be prevented by always clearing snow, ice, mud, or dirt from all windows and mirrors before driving.

If you can’t see because of foggy windows, wait for the temperature to regulate in the car and the fog to dissipate before driving.

The Ohio Auto Accident Attorneys with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy hope that these safety tips will be of benefit to motorists in the coming months.

A 49-year-old trucker from Greenville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on Thursday for causing an accident near Ravenna, Ohio, in 2010 that killed a 47-year-old college professor and injured her two teenage sons. According to reports from The Baltimore Sun, the trucker was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault.

The accident happened along the Ohio Turnpike when the trucker fell asleep at the wheel. He failed to slow down as he approached a congested traffic area, rear-ended the professor, and hit five other vehicles before bringing the overloaded tractor-trailer to a halt. The woman died at the scene of the crash, and her two teenage sons were both critically injured.

In the courtroom Thursday, the victim’s husband stated he hoped the accident would influence congress to pass tougher measures against the trucking industry to battle the growing problem of accidents related to driver fatigue.

As of now, the law allows truckers to drive 11-hours before a mandatory break is required. These hours are supposed to be recorded in a logbook. If a driver is over hours and an accident results, this is considered negligence on the driver’s part.

If you have been injured in an accident with a tractor-trailer truck that was no fault of your own, contact the Ohio truck accident lawyers with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy for a free initial consultation of your case.

A teen from Pataskala, Ohio, is lucky to be alive today after a drunken driver hit him while riding his bike Thursday afternoon. According to 10-TV News, the crash happened several hours before dusk along Blacks Road SW on the east side of Pataskala.

A spokesman for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Lieutenant Darrin Blosser, said the 15-year-old boy was hit head-on by the 40-year-old driver of a small, maroon sedan. He stated that the automobile struck the boy and veered into a ditch. Lieutenant Blosser then added that upon impact, the bike went through the windshield of the car and into the front passenger seat of the vehicle. The teen had to be cut out of the vehicle, as he could not move his legs. The boy was immediately taken to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, for treatment.

The driver of the vehicle was found to have a prior conviction for Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (OVI) from 2004. He will now face his second offense in connection with this incident, along with a charge of not stopping in time. Under Ohio law, the driver could face a license suspension of one to five years if he is convicted of the crime of OVI.

What about the teens medical costs because of the accident? The Ohio auto accident attorneys with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy say the boy and his family’s best bet is to contact a lawyer to discuss what, if anything, can be done to collect compensation for the accident.

Two weeks later, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) called for a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones and text messaging devices while driving.

This author has previously written about the stepped-up enforcement of local bans in this area (“Woodmere to Enforce Ban on Cell Phones“), and about whether local, state and national regulators were doing enough to solve the problem of the distracted driver (“Are We Doing Enough About The Distracted Driver?”).  While this national effort to curb the use of cell phones is a promising start, it falls far short of solving the problem.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission (NHTSA), over 5,000 deaths are caused each year by the distracted driver.  Distracted drivers are not just those who choose to text while operating their vehicles, but also those who eat, read, talk or otherwise let their attention wander from the roadway in front of them. In fact, curbing cell phone use while driving may only reach the tip of the iceberg as far as solving this growing problem is concerned.

The Insurance Institute on Highway Safety (IIHS), a private group financed by auto insurers, has concluded that cell phone bans, such as those recently brought forth by the USDOT and NTSB, do not work.  Their studies conclude that, in those few states where bans have been instituted, crash rates have not decreased, whether those bans covered cell phone use, texting or both. Institute spokesman Russ Radar was quoted as stating, “Part of it is that distracted driving is much bigger than just phones” since  “focusing on phones doesn’t deal with the full spectrum of things that distract.”

What we need, as IIHS recommends, is not only laws, but strong laws, strong education, and strong enforcement.  These laws need to cover all forms of distracted driving, not just those involving cell phone use. The bus driver traveling with 50 children aboard the bus puts those kids in the same harm’s way whether eating lunch while driving or talking on the phone.  And if an accident results, killing those children, the grieving family is no less affected if the driver missed the red light because he or she was eating than they would be if he or she was talking on the phone.

Applaud the USDOT and the NTSB for their efforts. But do not fool yourself into thinking that those efforts fully solve the problem.

Authored by Attorney Jeffrey A. Leikin

National Public Radio did a story on the psychological symptoms associated with the uncontrollable outburst that leads to road rage.  NPR’s news correspondent, Patti Neighmond, interviewed Emil Coccaro, M.D., a psychiatrist from the University of Chicago.

During the interview, Dr. Coccaro defines road rage as a deeper underlying problem called Intermittent Explosive Disorder. Sudden outbursts associated with this disorder happen not only on the road, but in the workplace and at home.  It is often associated with individuals who “are compulsively rigid and explode when their sense of ‘order’ is upset.”   Dr. Coccaro also gives other examples of people who explode due to paranoia or rejection.  Dr. Coccaro is the co-author of a study which suggests that 6 percent of the population has the short fuse associated with this disorder.

Dr. Coccaro goes on to suggest that folks prone to these outbursts do not produce enough of the hormone serotonin.  As such, these individuals would do well with medications like antidepressants and mood stabilizers to help with the imbalance.  Other potential solutions to assuage the uncontrollable feeling of rage include not taking things personally or removing yourself from the situation.

If you are someone prone to these outbursts or know a loved one who may be prone to intermittent explosive disorder, then it is something that should be discussed with your doctor. We are all responsible for keeping our highways healthy and safe.   For further tips to avoid someone who is driving aggressively or displaying signs of road rage, please visit the blog post of November 23, 2011, Aggressive Driving – Just Let It Go.

Authored by: Trial Attorney / Truck Attorney – Andrew R. Young, Esq. – Class A CDL License

Aggressive driving too often becomes road rage which then leads to accidents.  But it takes two (2) to tango.  Both aggressive driving and road rage lead to nothing good and can often lead to severe accidents, sometimes accidents involving innocent motorists or pedestrians.  Not only are you increasing the odds of life-threatening injuries to other motorists on the highway, you are flirting with causing life-altering injuries and/or death to yourself.  Through the lives of the clients I represent, I see firsthand how accident-related injuries can take you out-of-work for months and leave you unable to pay your mortgage or rent.  We all work way too hard to allow a skirmish with another motorist to take everything you care for most away from you and your family.  Is that other, unknown motorist really worth that price?

The Ohio CDL Handbook teaches truck drivers to avoid being aggressive drivers and what to do when confronted by an aggressive driver.  You can diffuse the situation by avoiding hand gestures, slowing down, and increasing your following distance.  The Handbook also teaches that you “put your pride in the back seat. Do not challenge them by speeding up or attempting to hold your own in the travel lane.” Avoiding eye contact, ignoring gestures, and refusing to react to the other driver is a safe bet to ensure your safety.

Our public roadways need drivers to be cautious, courteous, and conscientious.  Aggressive / reckless driving will ruin not only your life, but the lives of your loved ones and possibly the lives of other innocent victims.  Cooler heads will prevail.  If an aggressive driver is being aggressive with you, don’t react…just let it go.

Authored by: Trial Attorney / Truck Attorney – Andrew R. Young – Class A CDL License

Authored by Attorny Ellen M. McCarthy

A Regional Transit Authority (RTA) bus struck a woman in Dayton, Ohio Thursday night while crossing the street. According to the Dayton Daily News, spokesmen from the Dayton Police Department, Lieutenant Kenneth Beall, said this morning that they think the woman will survive the injuries she sustained in the accident.

It was around 9:30 PM when the woman, believed by authorities to be in her twenties, was attempting to walk across Catalpa Drive at a crosswalk. An initial investigation determined that the woman did not have the crossing signal and walked in front of the bus that had right of way. Under the darkened conditions the bus’s driver could not see the woman in the road and hit her with the front-end of the bus.

In most cases, a direct hit like this would be a death sentence, but in this case, it may have saved the woman’s life. Due to how the woman was hit, she went directly under the bus, trapping her beneath it and keeping her from being run over by the wheels of the vehicle. Paramedics were able to free the woman and take her to a local hospital where she is recovering.

The Ohio Car Accident Lawyers with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy would like to take this time to remind pedestrians to always obey the signals at crosswalks. Also, wear reflective or light colored clothing if you will be walking at night. Heeding these simple tips could save your life.