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.

Last April, the Ohio Turnpike Commission increased its speed limit to 70 miles per hour.  The Ohio Trucking Association, along with the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, opposed the increase.  The Ohio Trucking Association’s President Larry Davis indicated that cars going faster result in more weaving in-and-out of traffic, making the roads less safe.  According to Mr. Davis and members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, greater speed results in more injuries and fatalities.

Ohio lawmaker, State Representative Ron Maag, wants to increase speed limits from 65 mph to 70 mph for all of Ohio’s interstate freeways.  Yet, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety crash statistics, unsafe speed and failure to control are the two primary contributing circumstances for traffic fatalities.

The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data shows that Ohio’s roadway fatalities increased from 1,022 fatalities in 2009 to 1,080 fatalities in 2010, a 5.4% increase.  While official data has not yet been compiled for 2011, the Ohio State Highway Patrol reports that traffic fatalities for 2011 are likely to be in line with 2009’s statistics.  A steady annual decline in traffic fatalities should be a prerequisite before lawmakers decide to increase highway speeds.

Ohio should not celebrate the idea of increasing interstate speed limits.  We should pause to educate our lawmakers, our loved ones, and ourselves about the benefits of slowing down and planning ahead to allow for more realistic travel times.  Driving habits should not change if you are driving alone versus driving with family members in your vehicle.  Driving faster than road conditions allow may result in your own fatality or injuries to other motorists, and is certain to cause emotional harm to those you leave behind. We all need to be reminded to take it slow.  Let’s not wait to be reminded by another death on our roadways.

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

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.

The new HOS rule retains the 11-hour daily driving limit but reduces the current 82-hour weekly limit to 70-hours by changing the 34-hour “restart” period.  Under this rule, a new 70-hour work week cannot restart until after a truck driver has a 34-hour rest period that includes two 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. periods of rest.

The trucking industry argues that the requirement of two overnight rest periods in the 34 hour “rest and restart” period is potentially more dangerous for our nation’s roadways.  They contend that the two (2) overnight rest periods from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. will force millions more trucks on the road during daylight hours when traffic is at its highest.  More congestion on the roadways during daylight hours places all motorists at greater risk of an accident.  This issue was discussed with regulatory expert, Richard Wilson, on Allen Smith’s radio show, “Truth About Trucking.”

On the other hand, while the truck industry is pleased that the 11-hour daily driving limit remains in effect, safety advocates are disappointed that their proposed 10-hour daily driving limit wasn’t adopted.  In a statement released in conjunction with the news about the aforementioned five (5) year prison sentence, John Lannen, Executive Director of the Truck Safety Coalition, expressed concern about the new “inadequate hours of service (HOS) rule.”   The Truck Safety Coalition statement indicates that “the highest level of crash risk occurs during both the 10th and 11th hours of consecutive driving.”  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is continuing to research risks and listen to comments associated with the current 11-hour daily driving limit.

While both sides are disappointed in the new rule changes and continue to debate their points, one thing everyone can agree on is that this is a complicated problem requiring further communication, education, and collaboration.  As each side has legitimate concerns, this debate is likely to continue into the future.

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

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.

Performing maintenance checks and identifying minor problems before they become major breakdowns can save money by saving the life of the truck.  Meticulous inspections allow the truck driver to avoid costly breakdowns requiring expensive tows, days off-the-road, and costly repairs.  Regular inspections, maintenance, and properly documenting both will also help prevent the truck from being tagged out-of-service for Federal Code Violations.  Most important, regular inspections and timely maintenance can prevent equipment failures that could cause accidents producing serious injuries or fatalities.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, “it is necessary for a motor carrier to generate an additional $1,250,000 of revenue to pay the cost of a $25,000 accident, assuming an average profit of 2%.”  Direct costs of an accident include: injury(s), driver medical costs, cargo damage, vehicle damage, loss of revenue, administrative costs, effect on the cost of insurance, and towing costs.  Indirect costs include: lost customers or contracts, lost time at work, the cost of hiring a replacement driver, damaged equipment downtime, replacement rental vehicle, accident reporting, medical costs, and poor public relations.

Conscientious inspections provide for the safety of the truck driver and for all highway motorists. Mr. Kennealy is quoted in the article as stating, “the last thing I would want to do is place myself and my truck in a bad situation where I could total my truck or, worse yet, lose my life.”  Not just truck drivers, but all motorists, should follow Mr. Kennealy’s example.  A commitment to maintenance saves money and the life of your vehicle, and can even save lives on the highway.

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

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.

As originally drafted, the proposed rule changes were to reduce the 11-hour daily driving limit to 10 hours.  While this daily limit reduction was not included in the final rule, the new HOS requirements will effectively reduce the maximum allowable hours a truck driver can work in one week.  The old rule’s 82 hours will now be reduced down to 70 hours, representing a 15% overall reduction in weekly HOS.  A 30-minute break after working eight (8) hours is also a new requirement.

Chronic fatigue results after working long daily and weekly hours on a continuing basis.  With chronic fatigue, truck drivers face chronic health conditions and the high risk of causing an accident.  Truck driver fitness remains a focus for both the truck industry and enforcement of new safety rules.  Improving driver health and ensuring that the driver receives adequate rest are both means of promoting safer highways.  The truck industry has plenty of time to adjust to the new rule because it does not go effect until July 1, 2013.  Truck companies and drivers will face stiff monetary penalties for compliance violations.

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

While large truck fatalities were up, the overall number of people who died in all motor vehicle traffic crashes in the United States decreased from 33,833 in 2009 to 32,885 in 2010.   This data helps to track both favorable and unfavorable trends.  While, as a whole, America’s roadways have become historically safer, the trends show room for improvement, particularly in the areas of distracted driving, pedestrian deaths, and accidents caused by large trucks.

Accidents caused by large trucks that resulted in injuries, but not deaths, also increased by an alarming 12 percent. The trucking industry and regulators should be concerned by the upward trending numbers for both deaths and injuries.  Presently under consideration by Congress is a rule to reduce the number of hours that a truck driver can drive in a day.  The FARS data makes a compelling case for the proposed change in hours-of-service requirements designed to alleviate traffic accidents associated with fatigued driving.

Recently, lawmakers issued a new rule banning commercial drivers’ hand-held cell phone use to reduce fatalities and injuries caused by driver inattention.  A cell phone ban has even been recommended for all motorists.

The FARS data is a useful tool to increase awareness about highway safety.  This data definitely puts a spotlight on the trucking industry and helps frame the debate on future truck-related regulatory safety changes.  Lawmakers and the truck industry should make a New Year’s Resolution to make 2012 the safest year on record.  Let us use the FARS data to further bring awareness to problems plaguing our nation’s highway so that we can push through solutions focused on future roadway safety.

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