Auto Accident
Keeping Oklahoma Streets Safe during Drowsy Driving Prevention Week
The week of November 12 is being observed as Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. It is important to raise awareness about fatigued driving because a drowsy driver is often as dangerous as a drunk driver. According to a news report in KOKC Radio, one in six deadly crashes involve a drowsy driver. A recent study showed that 30 percent of drivers surveyed admitted to driving in the past 30 days while struggling to keep their eyes open. This means that at any given time, a number of vehicles on the roadway are being driven by someone who is potentially unfocused, daydreaming, falling asleep, or drifting from their lane of traffic.
According to the report, one in seven licensed drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 admitted to having nodded off while driving in the past year. For all other drivers, that number is approximately one in 10. Therefore, Oklahoma families who have a young driver in their household would be well advised to use this week to remind him or her to pull over when fatigued.
Read more about Keeping Oklahoma Streets Safe during Drowsy Driving Prevention Week
Tulsa Distracted Driving Car Accident Causes Injuries
Two people were injured in a Tulsa car accident, which officials say, may have involved a distracted driver. According to a News On 6 report, the injury accident occurred near 21st and Skelly in Tulsa. Officials say the female driver of an SUV was searching for something in her backseat when she rear-ended a truck that was stopped at a red light. Both drivers were taken to a nearby hospital. It is not clear if the woman responsible for the crash will face charges for the collision.
Distracted driving is more than just making a call or sending a text while driving. There are many ways in which a driver can lose focus. If you take your hands off the wheel, your eyes off the road, or your mind off the task at hand, you are driving while distracted. Drivers who are talking to passengers, reaching to change the CD, or operating an electronic navigation system, for example, are putting themselves and others in harm’s way.
Read more about Tulsa Distracted Driving Car Accident Causes Injuries
Determining Fault and Liability in Oklahoma City Car Accidents
A key component of pursuing compensation following an Oklahoma City car accident is to determine who was at fault for the crash. Oklahoma law allows victims of car crashes to recover damages if their responsibility for the crash is 49 percent or less. This is why it is crucial that drivers do not admit fault for the crash or discuss the specifics of the collision with an insurance provider without first talking to a skilled Oklahoma City car accident injury lawyer.
There are many factors that will help determine fault and liability for a crash. In some cases, the at-fault driver will face citations for running a red light, speeding, or violating another traffic law. There are many collisions, however, where determining liability can be much more complicated.
Read more about Determining Fault and Liability in Oklahoma City Car Accidents
Fiery Crash in Oklahoma City Causes Injuries
Four people were injured in recent Oklahoma City car crash involving a rear-end collision. According to a news report in The Oklahoman, the injury accident occurred on Interstate 240 at Santa Fe in south Oklahoma City. Officials say a 24-year-old Oklahoma City man crashed his car into the back of a pickup carrying four people. Both vehicles veered out of control and hit barrier walls. The pickup burst into flames when the fuel tank ruptured. The 75-year-old male driver of the pickup suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Two of his female passengers, ages 73 and 50, suffered critical injuries and a fourth occupant was treated and released.
There are a number of questions that investigators have to answer following a rear-end collision. Was the driver of the striking vehicle speeding? Was he or she fatigued, drunk, distracted, or otherwise careless? Did the driver of the vehicle in front make a dangerous lane change, slow down, or come to a sudden stop? The answers to these questions will affect liability issues relating to the car accident.
Read more about Fiery Crash in Oklahoma City Causes Injuries
Be Aware of the Dangers of Texting while Driving in Oklahoma
It only takes a moment for a distracted driver to cause a devastating accident. The following documentary, produced by AT&T, includes multiple examples of fatal car accidents caused by motorists who were texting while driving. There are numerous examples of final texts read or sent by someone moments before causing a crash. The images and descriptions may be graphic but the message cannot be more clear: Texting while driving destroys lives.
According to a 2009 study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), you are 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident while texting and driving. Why is texting such a dangerous form of distracted driving? Drivers who are texting have at least one hand off the wheel, their eyes off the roadway, and their mind off the task at hand. That means that texting motorists are distracted in three different ways. All motorists are encouraged to turn off their phones while driving or to pull over before reading or sending a text.
Read more about Be Aware of the Dangers of Texting while Driving in Oklahoma
Back to School Safety Tips for Oklahoma Drivers
Schools across Oklahoma are back in session. This means that drivers will need to look out for young pedestrians around school zones. According to The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 55 million children across the United States are headed back to school and 13 percent of them will walk or ride their bike. In order to keep children safe, what can drivers do to avoid a collision in a school zone?
First, it is important that motorists slow down and obey school zone speed limits. AAA reports that pedestrians struck by a car traveling at 25 mph are two-thirds less likely to suffer fatal injuries than someone struck at 35 mph. School zone speed limits are posted for a reason.
Read more about Back to School Safety Tips for Oklahoma Drivers
Seeking Compensation for Catastrophic Injuries Sustained in Oklahoma Car Accidents
There are many different injuries that are classified as catastrophic because of the long-lasting effects they have on the victim’s quality of life. Some of the most common catastrophic injuries that can result from an Oklahoma car crash include spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, and burn injuries.
The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that transmits messages from the brain down the spine throughout the body. A complete spinal cord injury is when the cord is severed and an incomplete injury is when the cord is damaged but not cut. In either case, the victim can suffer from paralysis, loss of feeling, loss of physical ability, and other serious conditions that may never improve.
Read more about Seeking Compensation for Catastrophic Injuries Sustained in Oklahoma Car Accidents
Drowsy Driving as Dangerous as Drunk Driving on Oklahoma Roads
Motorists who are drowsy are more likely to fall asleep or lose focus. A drowsy driver is a motorist with a reduced level of alertness as a result of being tired. It is common for many drivers to assume that they can push through their fatigue to get home after a long day of work. But this is a serious mistake that can have catastrophic consequences.
According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are at least 100,000 reported crashes that result from fatigued driving each year. These accidents result in 1,500 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses. These numbers are considered to be conservative because many drowsy driving accidents involve only one vehicle where the only witness was the driver.
Read more about Drowsy Driving as Dangerous as Drunk Driving on Oklahoma Roads
The Dangers of Cell Phone Use on Oklahoma Roads
Victims of Oklahoma car accidents have the right to pursue compensation for their losses from the at-fault driver under state law. Generally, the victim will have to prove that the other driver caused the accident through his or her careless or reckless behavior. Drivers who caused an accident through acts of negligence can be held financially responsible for their actions. Injured victims can also seek compensation from distracted drivers who cause an accident. The law views distracted driving as negligent driving.
Cell phones and other electronic devices are among the most common causes of car accidents involving distracted driving. Under Oklahoma law, school bus drivers are banned from using a cell phone or sending a text message while on the job. All drivers who are on a learner’s or intermediate license are banned from using a handheld phone or sending a text as well. However, there is no statewide ban in Oklahoma that prevents all drivers from using a cell phone while driving. Drivers who cause injury accidents while driving, in addition to facing citations or criminal charges, can also be held civilly liable by injured victims.
Read more about The Dangers of Cell Phone Use on Oklahoma Roads
Tulsa Highway Crash Caused by Debris on Roadway
Debris on the roadway forced the driver of an SUV to swerve out of the way before crashing into a wall. According to a News On 6 report, the Oklahoma car accident occurred on Highway 169 near the 61st Street exit in Tulsa. Officials say the SUV was headed north when the vehicle nearly struck a mattress that was left on the roadway. The driver swerved and the SUV struck a wall. Emergency crews checked out the driver and passengers, but no one was transported to hospitals.
Drivers who are responsible for causing an accident by dropping debris on the roadway can be held accountable for any accidents that result from the hazardous conditions. According to Oklahoma Statute 21-1753.3: “The operator of a vehicle…shall be liable pursuant to subsection B of this section for any act of throwing, dropping, depositing, or otherwise placing any litter from a vehicle upon highways, roads, or public property.”
Read more about Tulsa Highway Crash Caused by Debris on Roadway