Modesto Injury Lawyer Blog

The National Safety Council, along with the cell-free driving advocates of FocusDriven, recently announced that April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

We frequently post on our Modesto Injury Lawyer Blog about the dangers of talking or texting on your cell phone while driving, which can lead to a serious or fatal car accident in Modesto or Stockton.

Now that spring has arrived and summer is knocking on the door, you will begin to notice more motorist on the roadway; Modesto personal injury lawyers want to encourage drivers to not allow themselves to become distracted while behind the wheel.

The two non-profit organizations are asking motorists in California and elsewhere in the country to pledge to turn off their cell phones when they are behind the wheel during the month of April and beyond.

Better yet, eliminate the distraction completely by putting your cell phone in the glove compartment or trunk of your car so that responding to a text alert or ring tone doesn't even enter your mind while you are driving.

It is estimated that 28 percent of all crashes, roughly 1.6 million each year, are caused by someone using their hand-held or hands-free cell phone while behind the wheel, according to National Safety Council (NSC).

Talking and texting ranks higher than any other distraction liable to cause a motor vehicle crash.

Drivers are also encouraged to create a temporary voicemail to be used while they are driving. This will alert callers that you are currently behind the wheel but you will return their car when it is safe to do so.

"If drivers can go one month without using their phones while driving, they will find out - as many of us have - work still gets done. Many drivers realize most of the calls they thought were so important, really aren't. It is our hope drivers will decide to make the change permanently. Doing so will make our roadways safer for everyone," said Jennifer Smith, FocusDriven president and founding board member.

Businesses who supply their employees with a cell phone are encouraged to participate in awareness by devising a company policy that prohibits cell phone use while driving. Corporations who place a high demand on their workers to multi-task should make sure employees put safety first and do not talk or text while driving.

"When businesses allow employees to conduct business on cell phones while driving, they are putting their employees at a 4 times greater risk of a crash," said Janet Froetscher, NSC president and CEO.

The NSC offers various resources to businesses in order to keep their employees safe. They provide a free and downloadable Cell Phone Policy Kit for Employers who need assistance conveying the high risk of driving distracted to their employees.

Continue reading "Distracted driving awareness in April lowers risk of car accidents in Modesto, Stockton" »

The Modesto Bee is reporting a disturbing trend of pedestrians being hit on Highway 108. The roadway claimed another victim last month, which now puts the total at 17 in just over a year.

Our Modesto personal injury lawyers know that California leads the nation in pedestrian accidents.

Law enforcement will be beefing up patrols and will issue tickets to both drivers and pedestrians. Drivers will get a $243 ticket for not stopping for people in the crosswalk and pedestrians will be issued a $203 ticket for walking in front of cars. The police plan on using pedestrian decoys to see if vehicles will stop at crosswalks.

We recently reported on our Modesto Injury Lawyer Blog about the high rate of pedestrian accidents in Stockton, Modesto and the surrounding areas.

The Governors Highway Safety Associations Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State reports that California had 563 pedestrian deaths in 2009. For the first 6 months of 2010 we have had 260 which is the same amount for that time frame in 2009.

Police blame both drivers and pedestrians for being inattentive while driving and walking. They have been engaged in such activities as eating, putting on makeup, texting, talking on their cell phones. Anything and everything that is likely to distract them from paying attention to their surroundings.

Most of the accidents have involved children and the bulk of the injuries have been minor. The youngest victim was a 3-year-old hit by a texting driver. There has been one fatality that involved a 49-year-old who was intoxicated and was hit by a car while attempting to cross Highway 108 at night.

The latest victim was a 40-year-old who was walking across Highway 108 when she was hit by a pickup truck. Police reported that traffic was heavy and it was raining at the time of the accident.

Safety tips for all pedestrians:

-Make eye contact with the driver and always cross at a corner, using traffic signals and crosswalks.

-When crossing the street look left, right and left again. Always walk across the street, don't run.

-Use sidewalks or paths, if there aren't any, walk facing traffic.

-Be alert to vehicles around you.

-Children should hold hands with an adult in parking lots.

Pedestrian safety tips for children:
-Children under 10 should never cross streets by themselves.

-Children should walk using the routes with the fewest street crossings.

-Children should never cross the street behind a school bus and should wait for adults on the same side of the road as the school bus unloading or loading zone.

-Children need to be taught to not run into the road after a toy or pet.

Continue reading "Highway 108 a Dangerous Place for Modesto Pedestrian Accidents" »