Auto Accident Statistics and Checklist

Auto Statistics
Automobile accidents are very dangerous and may cause serious injury. Although some insurance industry publications try to minimize the impact, the truth about automobile accidents is disturbing:

• According to the National Safety Council, there are approximately 12 million automobile accidents every year.
• Approximately 2 million non-fatal, but disabling, injuries occur from automobile accidents every year.
• Approximately 10% of all automobile accident victims become disabled.
• Collisions occurring at speeds as low as 5 miles an hour can lead to significant cervical or neck injury. This is true even though there is little to no damage to the motor vehicles in a low speed collision.
• Even if an accident causes no broken bones, a victim may suffer "soft-tissue" injuries that last for months, or sometimes years. A study reported in the European Spine Journal indicated that 10% of accident victims experienced degenerative bone conditions during the first year after the auto accident.
  

Michigan Auto Accident Checklist
If you were involved in a Michigan auto accident, do you know what to do? The following "checklist" can help you take the necessary steps to protect your legal rights in case of a Michigan auto accident.

Stay Calm after the Michigan Auto Accident:

• Protect your passengers and car.
  
• If necessary, call an ambulance for any injured party.
• Set out flares, if you carry them.
• Do not leave the scene of the Michigan car accident.
  

Exchange Documents after the Michigan Auto Accident:

• Exchange only your license, registration and motor vehicle identification card with the other drivers.
• Do not discuss the Michigan car accident with anyone other than the police.
• Do not blame yourself or anyone else.
  

Get Ownership Facts After the Michigan Auto Accident:

• Write down the name, address, and insurance company of the owner of the other car involved in the Michigan car accident.
• Do not assume that the other driver owned his or her car.
  

Get Information About Witnesses to the Michigan Auto Accident:

• Be sure to write down the names, addresses, and phone numbers of any people who saw the Michigan car accident, but were not involved in it.

Draw a Diagram of the Michigan Auto Accident Scene:

• Write the date and time of the Michigan auto accident on the diagram.
• In addition, write down information about the location of the auto accident, including the intersection, street names, any stop lights or traffic control signs, or other landmarks.
  

Protect Your Legal Rights After the Michigan Auto Accident:

• If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries in a Michigan auto accident, talk with an experienced Michigan auto accident lawyer.

Auto Accident Child Safety

Travel Safely with Young Passengers in Your Car

The essential safety information for every parent, relative, friend, or caregiver, who may transport an infant or small child in an automobile is to be sure to get the right car seat for your child. When it comes to child restraint systems, one size does not fit all, and each system must be appropriate for the individual youngster's age, weight, and height.

The following are general guidelines about the kind of protection your child may need:

• Infants up to about 1 year old should travel in a federally-approved infant safety seat that faces the rear of the car. Facing the back of the car protects a baby's fragile head and neck if a car accident occurs. The car seat should be semi-reclined so that the baby's head does not flop forward.

• Children between 1 and 4 years old can sit in a convertible seat that faces forward, if the car seat is equipped with harness straps to securely hold the youngster in place.

• A child who outgrows a convertible seat should ride in a booster seat, which will make the safety belt fit better and more comfortably.

• After a child gets too big for a booster seat, he or she can wear a regular seat belt, but should continue to sit in the back seat until 12 years of age.

Give your child the maximum protection by using the car safety seat properly.

Although about 80% of drivers use child restraint systems, over 70% were incorrectly installed. The most common mistakes were incorrect use of the tethers and harnesses, which will keep the child safely secured in the event of an accident. This puts children at risk, and can easily be avoided, if drivers take the time to follow these simple steps:

• Study the vehicle owner's manual and car seat instructions carefully.

• Check to see if you need a special locking clip. Not all standard safety belts will secure a car seat without it.

• Look for a car seat with a label saying it meets federal motor vehicle standards.

• Send in the car seat registration card, so that you will get notice of product safety recalls.

• Get a tight fit - the car seat should not move more than one inch from side to side or forward. To check for proper installation, push and pull on the car seat near the safety belt buckle.

• Replace a car seat that has been in a crash.

Get help if your child is the victim of a Michigan car accident.

No matter how hard you try to protect your child, sometimes you cannot avoid getting into a motor vehicle crash.

You need to protect your legal rights.

If you or a family member is injured in a Michigan car accident, consult an experienced Michigan car accident attorney, before you talk with the insurance company of the person at fault. If you sign the wrong papers, you may give up all the legal claims that you or your child may have for payment of medical bills and lost income, as well as compensation for pain and suffering.

How to Prevent Car Accidents & Pedestrian Injuries

Pedestrian Safety Tips & Safe Driving Tips for Everyone Be Safe & Be Seen!

Did you know that more than 5,000 pedestrians die each year in the United States because they are hit by motor vehicles or bicycles? To be safe when sharing sidewalks and streets, it's important to be aware of your surroundings. By taking simple precautions, you can prevent injuries and possible death.

Three of the most common accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians are caused when pedestrians make the following mistakes:

1) Cross a road not at the intersection (jaywalking).

2) Walk in the road, not the side of road.

3) Walk in the road in the same direction as moving vehicles.

To help prevent these accidents, follow these simple Pedestrian Safety Tips:

• BE SEEN: Avoid common traffic dangers.

• Wait for drivers to stop and make eye contact before crossing a street. Don't assume they see you.

• Cross at a corner or marked walkway, following traffic signals.

• Sidewalks obviously are safer than roads, but watch for driveway traffic.

• If there's no sidewalk, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.

• Bicyclists should ride with the flow of traffic, preferably in marked lanes.

• Look left-right-left before crossing any street, and keep looking until across.

• Don't start crossing if a red signal is blinking.

• When crossing on a green light, watch in all directions for turning cars.

• Put a safety flag on a wheelchair, motorized cart or stroller for visibility.

Sharing public spaces with vehicle traffic takes extra care and attention by everyone. When everyone is courteous and cautious, it's safe to get around on foot, by bike, with skates, in wheelchairs or even via scooters. We all need to avoid risky situations, and when drivers follow these safety tips we all get where we're going safely!

• BE SAFE: Slow down, look, anticipate.

• Careful driving starts when you turn the ignition key.

• Driveways and parking areas are hazardous. Pull out slowly, watching on all sides for pedestrians or any passers-by.

• In public garages, drive-through businesses and commercial lots, watch out for those on foot or two wheels. Look in each direction, especially when they are crossing sidewalks and marked paths.

• Before turning right on red lights, drivers must stop fully.

• Make sure no pedestrian, jogger, bicyclist or wheelchair user is crossing or waiting to cross. They have the right of way.

• Motorists turning left on green lights also must yield to anyone crossing.

Protect Yourself after A Car Accident

Step-by-step instructions on how to protect yourself if you are in a car accident.

Auto accidents are a significant cause of disabling injuries and deaths throughout the nation.

The facts about car accidents are alarming:

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicles accidents killed 43,443 Americans in 2005.
• Another 2,494,000 people were injured in car crashes in that year alone.
• Of those who died in highway accidents, three out of four were occupants of motor vehicles.
• About 4,550 of the deceased victims were motorcyclists.
• Another 5,665 of the people killed in car accidents were bicyclists or pedestrians.
• Almost 17,000 of the fatal motor vehicle accidents were related to alcohol use.

A car accident can be a very upsetting experience. But it is very important not to panic after a car accident. Instead, keep a clear head.

First, and most important, Stay Calm
Focus first on acting to protect yourself and help other car accident victims. Do not discuss the car accident with anyone other than the police. Do not blame anyone, including yourself. Never argue with the other driver -- even if you are sure that person caused the car accident.

Second, Get Help
Do not leave the site of the car accident. Call 9-1-1 from the car accident scene, to tell police about the collision. If anyone was injured, ask the 9-1-1 operator to send emergency medical personnel to the car accident site immediately.

Set flares, if you carry them, to warn other drivers to slow down and avoid the people and vehicles involved in the car accident.

Obtain the Drivers Facts
Write down the name, address, phone number, driver's license number and state, license plate number, registration, and auto insurance information, including the insurance policy number.

Ownership Facts
If the driver of the other vehicle was not the owner, write down the name, address, insurance company, and auto insurance policy number of the owner of that vehicle.

Injured Parties
Ask the police about all injured parties, including the passengers in the automobiles. If possible, take down their names, addresses, dates of birth, gender, and extent of injuries.

Witnesses
Look around for anyone who may have seen the car accident, including bystanders and occupants of other vehicles. Be sure to write down the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all these witnesses.

Damages
Write down the make, body type, year, and license number of all the motor vehicles involved in the car accident. Also, note the damage to each of the vehicles.

Car Accident Scene
Draw a diagram of the car accident site. Mark down the street names, and the location of any stop lights, traffic control signs, or other landmarks. Note the path of each motor vehicle just before the place where they collided.

Protect Your Health
After an automobile accident, get medical attention. Sometimes, car accident victims are too stunned right after a bad collision to know whether or not they were hurt. Therefore, it is wise to see your personal physician as soon as possible. Tell your doctor about the motor vehicle collision, so that he or she can check for internal injuries that may result from a traumatic accident.

Report the Car Accident
If police did not come to the car accident scene, call the police to file a report, as soon as you are able to make a telephone call. If the driver of the other vehicle fled the crash scene, you still must report the car accident to the police. Get a copy of the police report whenever it is available.

File an Auto Insurance Claim
Tell your auto insurance company about the car accident immediately and get an insurance claim number. Ask the auto insurance representative to open a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) file, to preserve all of your rights under your policy.

Be sure to let your insurance company know if you were in a hit-and-run car accident. Some insurance policies require notice of a claim involving an unidentified driver within 30 days of the car accident.

Tell your own auto insurance company that you claim your right to any uninsured or under insured motorist coverage, in case the car or truck that hit you was not covered by motor vehicle insurance. Insurance companies often require prompt notice of these claims and may deny these benefits to anyone who does not follow the strict requirements in their policies.

Safety Tips for Auto Drivers Sharing the Road with Large Trucks

Our highways accommodate millions of passenger vehicles, buses trucks, and tractor-trailers. These extremely large semi trucks carry essential products, parts, livestock, and equipment for business and consumers. Economically we need these big trucks, but sharing the road with them can be very dangerous. When driving near a tractor trailer be alert and take extra safety precautions.

Know the Risks:

Most states allow extremely large trucks and tractor-trailers to travel on major highways. The following are some of the current legal standards for semi trucks, tractor-trailers, and other large trucks:

• A loaded tractor-trailer can be up to 8 1/2 feet wide -- 50% wider that a passenger car. (102 inches)
• The overall length of a truck hauling a trailer can be up to 65 feet on designated truck routes.
• The length of a tractor-trailer transporting logs can be up to 70 feet, or more than 4 times the length of an average automobile.
• There is no overall limit on the length of a semi truck, if it is pulling one trailer no longer than 50 feet or two trailers no longer than 28 ½ feet each.
• The normal maximum load for a truck with a single trailer can be as much as 80,000 pounds. A few states, including Michigan, allow trailers with multiple axles and tires to haul up to 120,000. Watch for these trucks which usually carry steel, gravel, heavy equipment, asphalt, and other extremely heavy goods.
• The maximum weight of a tractor truck with two loaded trailers can be as much as 160,000 pounds, about the same weight as 50 passenger cars.

The enormous size and weight of a tractor-trailer make it a potentially dangerous vehicle, even if a skilled and careful truck driver is at the wheel.

Safety Tips for Auto Drivers Sharing the Road with Large Trucks

If you are on the highway near a tractor trailer or semi truck, you can reduce the risk of a serious accident by driving with extra care. Here are safety guidelines to help you protect yourself and your family:

• Stay out of truck blind spots. Although every truck has side mirrors, the driver still has blind spots--areas directly behind and on both sides of the truck where the driver cannot see cars. Look at the truck, if you can't see the driver's side view mirrors, you are in the blind spot and the driver can't see you. If your car is next to a large truck, either drive on past or back off. If you are passing, try to drive your car on the left side where the blind spot is smaller.

• Never follow a large truck too closely. Keep 20 to 25 car lengths between the front of your vehicle and the back of a large truck. This extra distance will allow you to see in front of the truck. In case there is congested traffic or an accident up ahead, you will see it in time to stop or safely steer your car away from the danger.

• Use extra caution when passing a large truck. After you pass a large truck, do not pull your car back into its traffic lane until you can see its headlights in your rear view mirror. Leaving this extra distance gives the truck driver the time to slow down or stop if something is happening on the highway ahead.

• Always remember that a loaded tractor-trailer or semi truck needs as much as 100 yards -- the length of a football field -- to come to a complete stop. No matter how crowded the highway, make sure to maintain this safe distance. If the truck driver ignores this margin of safety and follows your car too closely, do not take a chance. Move your car into another traffic lane.

• Always use your turn signals when changing lanes. Drivers around you need to know what you are doing to maintain safe driving distances.

Auto Accidents in the United States

Automobile accidents are very dangerous and may cause serious injury. No one wants to imagine being in any motor vehicle accident. Although some insurance industry publications try to minimize the impact, the truth about automobile accidents is disturbing:

• According to the National Safety Council, there are approximately 12 million automobile accidents every year.

• Approximately 2 million non-fatal, but disabling, injuries occur in automobile accidents every year.

• Approximately 10% of all automobile accident victims become disabled.

• Collisions occurring at speeds as low as 5 miles an hour can lead to significant cervical or neck injury. This is true even though there is little to no damage to the motor vehicles in a low speed collision.

• Even if an accident causes no broken bones, a victim may suffer "soft-tissue" injuries that last for months, or sometimes years. A study reported in the European Spine Journal indicated that 10% of accident victims experienced degenerative bone conditions during the first year after the auto accident.

Perhaps the most frightening prospect is a roll-over accident, and they are among the most dangerous of all motor vehicle accidents. In the United States, there were about 70,000 accidents involving rollovers of sport utility vehicle (SUV) in 2002. These crashes killed 2,000 Americans and injured thousands more.

Sometimes rollovers result from a collision between two or more vehicles. At other times, a rollover is a single vehicle accident. After a single-vehicle rollover, the driver may not realize that someone's negligence may have contributed to their accident. In fact, a rollover accident may be caused by factors like gross negligence in the production of tires, poor vehicle design, or road defects.

The serious nature of these crashes is clear. Rollovers account for 19% of the deaths in standard automobiles, 36% of the deaths in pick-up trucks, and 51% of all deaths in SUV accidents. Often the occupants of a vehicle are physically ejected during a rollover. A person who is in a rollover accident is extremely lucky, if he or she escapes serious injury. Anyone suffering serious injury should talk with an experienced auto accident lawyer.

Winter Driving Tips

Winter road conditions can become hazardous with very little warning. Follow these precautions to help make sure you and your family arrive safe every time you set out on the road.

Let the road conditions dictate your speed. Remember that speedlimit signs only present guidelines for dry surfaces when visibility is ideal. When the road has water, ice, or snow on it,or when snow is blowing and making it hard to see, you should slow down until you can be certain to retain control of your vehicle at all times. In the winter, this will be much slower than the posted speed limit.

Leave more room between vehicles. Winter roads require much greater stopping distances, and just because you can stop, you can’t be sure the other drivers will be able to. Make sure there is enough space between your vehicle and the others on the road to allow you to stop when traffic or road conditions change unexpectedly.

Change lanes or directions slowly. When you change the position of your car to the left or right, or make a turn, it requires extra friction to stay on the road. When the roads are wet, icy, or snowy, make gradual changes and signal to other drivers well in advance.

Do you know when to pump the brakes or not? If you have anti-lock brakes, DO NOT pump the brakes when stopping. Pumping the brakes IS recommended for vehicles without anti-lock brakes.

Use extra caution on bridges and overpasses. When the cold winter winds blow, bridges and overpasses develop ice more quickly than other road surfaces. Make sure to carefully assess the conditions of bridges and remain attentive of the road surface.

Keep an eye out for deer. During the winter months, deer congregate together in large groups. If one is near the edge of the road, or crosses in front of you, more are certain to be close by. In rural areas, they are especially active during hunting season. Do NOT assume that a deer will get out of the way of your car. Slow down, flash your lights, and wait to proceed until the deer is out of range.

Show your good spirit. Frustration can cause tragic consequences with unsafe driving. Keep your cool, take a deep breath, and remember that everyone needs to get back home safely.
Don’t let your holiday be cut short by an auto accident. Stay awake, aware, and in control of your car.

If you are the unfortunate victim of an accident, learn what you should do after an auto accident to get help, protect your rights, and ensure the safety of as many as possible.